This archive report was first published on 12 October 2019.
Published on October 12, 2019, a CNN report exposed a shocking scheme where Kenyan nationals, mostly of Somali descent, cheated their way into the United States and other European countries by posing as refugees.
The resettlement plan for refugees at the Daadab refugee camp in Northern Kenya was exploited by these individuals, who claimed to be fleeing war in Somalia.
However, an investigation by CNN revealed that most of the people registered in refugee camps in Kenya were actually locals and not foreigners fleeing war.
Between 1960 and 2016, an unconfirmed number of these fake refugees from Daadab camp were resettled in the US and other European nations.
Daadab MP Mohamed Dahiye was quoted by CNN as saying, 'We have had Kenyans who have been caught in the refugee database for the last 25 years. Some of them were looking for food, shelter, and opportunities.'
UNHCR representative in Kenya, Fathiaa Abdalla, acknowledged the issue, stating, 'The “double registration,” as we call it, or the Kenyans registered as refugees in Dadaab, is an issue we know about and the government knows about as well.'
Ms. Abdalla added that she doesn't blame Kenyans who registered as refugees, saying, 'I think as a human being you want to survive. You want to survive, and you don’t have a bad intention. These services were available in the refugee camp, but not available to you in the village.'
