Major field of world's refugees will close its doors

São Paulo - This week, the international community received with concern the news that the Kenyan government will terminate the reception of refugees and close operations of the camps in the country, making uncertain the future of more than 600,000 people registered in its territory under these conditions.

In a statement released on social networks, Kenya declared to be aware of the challenges facing the world today with the issue of forced migration and refugee crisis, both situations arising from wars, bad weather and hunger.

However, due to the insecurity scenario and the threat of terrorist groups like Al Shabaab, which is based in Somalia, but has been expanding its operations, the government decided to "reconsider the question of receiving refugees and repatriation process."

The statement is not clear when, after all, begin to bar the entry of these people and start the process of closing the camps. But he announced that the activities of the country's Department of Refugees has already ended.

And one of the locations that will be affected by this determination is Dadaab, the largest planet in the refugee camp.

Dabaab

In 1991, the world watched closely the developments of a bloody civil war that today ravage Somalia. As a result, thousands of Somalis seeking refuge in neighboring Kenya, specifically in the area of ​​Garissa, which is located about 400 kilometers from the capital Nairobi.

Was born the Dadaab, a makeshift camp, whose operations should have worked only for a few months, but following up. Over time, the site became the largest city of Garissa and today is home to 330,000 refugees, mostly Somalis, as shown by figures from Kenyan operation of UNHCR, the UN agency dedicated to refugees.

According to the Dadaab Stories, an initiative of FilmAid International, non-governmental organization based in the United States, the field has five smaller fields and today there are at least 8,000 children "granddaughters" Dadaab. Represent the generations of people who see the field as their homes, their homelands.

Reviews

For Amnesty International, the decision of the Kenyan government was rated as "sloppy" and warned that may cause the involuntary return of thousands of refugees to their countries of origin. These countries still face situations of instability, endangering the lives of these people already living in vulnerable.

The non-governmental organization Doctors Without Borders also spoke out against the Kenyan government's position. In a statement, the NGO asked that the decision be reconsidered and called for organizations working in the fields around the country does not cease its activities.

The video below, in English and subtitled in English only, was produced by the Dadaab Stories and show life scenes in the biggest field of the world's refugees, through the lens of those who still live there. Check it.