The Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps in northern Kenya are home to more than 410,000 people, a small number of whom come from South Sudan.
Authorities in Nairobi first announced their intention to close the Dadaab camp, which is closer to the border with Somalia than Kakuma, in 2016, citing national security concerns.
Interior Minister Fred Matiang’i gave UNHCR 14 days to draw up a plan to close both Dadaab and Kakuma, his ministry said in a tweet, adding that there was no room for further talks. on this topic.
UNHCR called on Kenya to ensure that those in need of protection continue to receive it, and pledged to continue engaging in dialogue.
“The decision would have an impact on the protection of Kenyan refugees, including in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement said.
Somali authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Kenyan government’s attempt to close Dadaab in 2016 was informed by intelligence reports showing two major attacks on Kenyan targets in 2013 and 2015, involving elements in the camps. The plan was blocked by the high court, which called the measure unconstitutional.
The camp was founded three decades ago and was once the largest refugee camp in the world, hosting over half a million people fleeing violence and drought in Somalia.
Kakuma, located in the northwest, is home to more than 190,000 refugees, some from neighboring southern Sudan.
Kenyan authorities told UNCHR on Tuesday that they would take refugees to the Somali border if the camps were not closed, the Daily Nation reported. The interior ministry told Reuters that the reporting was accurate.
Kenya’s move comes as relations with Somalia worsen after Mogadishu severed diplomatic ties with Nairobi in December last year, accusing it of interfering in its internal affairs.
The two nations are also facing the International Court of Justice over a maritime border dispute, although Kenya has boycotted a hearing.
Kenya’s interior ministry told Reuters that the closure of the camps was not linked to diplomatic difficulties with Somalia.