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World Refugee Day 2008 and Launch of World Refugee Survey

The Refugee Consortium of Kenya marked this years World Refugee Day with events on 19th and 20th June. On 19th June, the organisation launched the World Refugee Survey 2008 at its offices in Nairobi. The launch was well attended by refugee leaders, community monitors, and refugee and Kenyan artists.

During celebrations on 20th June with the Government, UNHCR, and NGO representatives, RCK took up the issues that gave Kenya very weak scores in the survey. These issues were physical protection, detention and freedom of movement. In her speech as an NGO representative, the Executive Director, Ms Wakahiu urged the Government, through the Minister in charge of Immigration and Registration of Persons, Hon. Otieno Kajwang to put in place mechanisms to:

• Allow vetting of asylum seekers before returning them indiscriminately as women, children and genuine asylum seekers were being returned to places where their lives were in danger;
  
• Allow refugees fleeing conflict in Somalia to access the Kenyan border;
  
• Speed up the gazettement of the regulations so that refugees can benefit from some of the rights enshrined such as the right to earn livelihoods;

In addition, she urged the international community, NGOs and development partners to support the Department of Refugee Affairs in terms of resources and capacity building. This will enable the department to take over registration of refugees and issuance of identification documents that will enable them access work permits.

In response to the issues raised, the Minister stated that refugee identification documents that will be issued once the department is fully functional, should permit them to move freely and access the wage earning opportunities. He urged the international community to do more for Somalia.

These issues were captured on the national broadcaster, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC TV), Kenya Television Network (KTN TV) and three radio stations. They all featured excerpts of an interview with the RCK's Executive Director.

A brief of the survey was shared with the media and copies of the publication given to the Minister, the Commissioner and UNHCR Public Information Office.

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