This archive report was first published on 29 July 2019.
Published on July 29, 2019, the United Nations reported a decline in the number of Somali refugees willing to return home from the Dadaab camps in Kenya.
According to the UN, a total of 84,230 Somalis have taken part in the voluntary return programme since its inception five years ago. However, so far this year, fewer than 1,400 have gone back to Somalia under UN auspices.
The Dadaab refugee complex, which has been in operation for nearly 30 years, has a total population of 210,472 as of the end of June. This represents a decline of only 84 persons over the past three months.
Kenyan officials have cited security concerns as a reason for the decline in voluntary repatriation, stating that Dadaab is a hub for al-Shabaab plotting and recruitment.
The UN refugee agency attributed the decline to the limited number of return areas due to political developments in Somalia, which have impacted the security situation in the country.
Prior to the start of Somalia's election season last October, Somali refugees were able to return voluntarily to as many as 10 areas designated as safe. However, since then, the UN agency has been able to assist returns to only two areas: Kismayo and Mogadishu.
Those refugees who agree to return to Somalia from Dadaab can currently do so only by air, as the facilitation of road movement remains suspended due to military operations en route to Kismayo, Baidoa, and other major return areas.
Meanwhile, thousands of Somalis who took part in the voluntary repatriation programme have returned to Dadaab, likely due to threatened or actual violence and inability to find work in their homeland.
Also slowing the exodus from the camps is the reluctance of most rich countries to accept significant numbers of Somali refugees for resettlement. The quota for transfer of Dadaab residents to other countries stands at 975 individuals for all of 2019.
