Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Kenyan counterparts on the proposed demolition of the Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in that country; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of those proposed demolitions on future migration flows across the Mediterranean.

James Duddridge

During his visit to Kenya on 3 June, the Foreign Secretary raised the announced closure of Dadaab refugee camp with the Kenyan Government, including President Kenyatta. We recognise the significant burden that Kenya faces in housing a large number of refugees. The Government of Kenya assured the Foreign Secretary that refugees would be treated in line with their international obligations.

We are committed to working with Kenya and other members of the international community to ensure refugees are kept safe and that progress is made on the Tripartite Agreement, including safe and dignified refugee return. Our view, shared with the Kenyan Government, is that durable solutions for refugees are needed so that they will not be driven to undertaking the dangerous journeys, including across the Mediterranean.