Nairobi (RBC) Humanitarian partners are preparing for uptick of voluntary returns of Somali refugees in the neighboring country of Kenya, UNHCR said.
Somali refugees in Kenya who wish to return to Somalia will be able to receive support from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and partners from January 2014.
A six-month pilot phase during which Somali refugees can receive support to return and reintegrate is the tangible outcome of the Tripartite Agreement signed on 10 November by the governments of Kenya, Somalia, and UNHCR.
Three districts have been selected for assisting spontaneous returns: Luuq (Gedo), Baidoa (Bay) and Kismayo (Lower Juba). About 10,000 Somali refugees will be supported based on the criteria that voluntary returns must be to the area of origin in Somalia.
Registration for support has started in Dadaab. Lessons learnt during the pilot phase from January to June will inform future assistance for voluntary returns of Somali refugees in Kenya.
Kenya hosts around half a million Somali refugees, mainly in the Dadaab refugee camps, which were established in 1991 when civil war broke out in Somalia.
The Tripartite Agreement establishes a legal framework to govern the voluntary return of Somali refugees in Kenya who wish to return to their homeland.
It defines roles and responsibilities of the three parties in accordance with international standards, and emphasizes that any refugee should have the right to return home in safety and dignity, or to remain in Kenya should they wish to do so.
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