This study delves into the complex dynamics of waiting for resettlement faced by refugees in Kenyan refugee camps, specifically focusing on the strategies individuals and communities develop as they navigate uncertain futures. By examining the psychological, social, and economic dimensions of waiting, the publication sheds light on the resilience and adaptability of refugees in the face of prolonged displacement and uncertainty of resettlement.

Abstract

For many refugees, going home is not possible because of continued instability and local integration is unavailable due to host country policies, so resettlement becomes the only possible “durable solution” to displacement. In Kenya, despite long-standing resettlement programmes, there remain over 588,000 refugees and asylum seekers living in the country. While most studies of resettlement focus on those who resettle, this paper sheds light on the perspectives of those who are still waiting in Kenyan camps for resettlement: those who have “not yet” and perhaps will “never” be resettled. Through focus groups and interviews with 75 refugees in the Dadaab refugee camps, Kakuma Refugee Camp, and Kalobeyei settlement, we find that camp residents experience waiting for resettlement individually and communally. Individually, camp residents assess options, place life plans on hold, and face the mental health consequences of prolonged uncertainty. Communally, camp residents interpret policy changes, share information, and exchange remittances.

This research was co-produced with equal participation of researchers with lived experiences of displacement, currently residing in Kakuma and Dadaab, Kenya. This work is essential for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners working in refugee studies, migration, and humanitarian aid.

We hope this research sparks meaningful conversations and contributes to advancing our understanding of displacement, waiting for resettlement, and resilience in refugee communities.

Related Publications

Policy Brief: Waiting for Resettlement Increasing Transparency in the Resettlement Process in Kenya

This blog post is part of a broader study led by the Dadaab Response Association on the impact of COVID-19 on life in the Dadaab refugee camps. Please see the new working paper for more information about the study and about the impact of COVID-19 on refugee education in the camps.

Despite restrictions on formal employment for refugees living in the Dadaab camps, running a business within the camps is a very common practice. Before COVID-19, refugee businesses in Dadaab flourished. Refugees could obtain travelling documents to go outside Dadaab and stock their businesses. Hotels were also successful and could earn a lot of money. Many incentive workers (refugees who are paid a small honorarium to work for an international organization) used to find it easier to eat at the hotels instead of preparing their food themselves, and then would pay the hotel owners at the end of every month. All agencies used to conduct workshops and seminars in the three camps, where their participants would receive food vouchers for hotels owned by refugees and the host community. This practice helped financially support refugee-owned businesses. Taxis would operate freely across the camps, carrying passengers to and from one camp to the other. Some people have specialized in moving items cheaply from one camp and selling them profitably to the other. Many youths are self-employed in the transport sector; they own motorcycles, bicycles, tuk-tuks, Altos and Pro-boxes. Beautifying businesses for men and women are common across the camps. Women own salons that have experts who design wonderful styles for their clients. These salons are also used by women and girls as an environment for social interaction, where they share views and support each other when one woman has an issue or a challenge. Some members of the refugee community also received cash or in-kind goods from fellow community members for the role of watchperson at the communal tap-stands. Each tap-stand for water collection has a member of the community who ensures water is collected in a peaceful and orderly manner.

Unfortunately, COVID and the public health restrictions put in place to respond to the pandemic had devastating impacts on refugee businesses. According to Zubair, a community worker in the camps:

It affected every part of the camp, but some people were badly affected, especially the business community. The lockdown affected transportation of goods to Hagadera and outside the camp. So, there was a decline in the economy in the camp. Those with small businesses ran bankrupt and left the market. I know some of them. Even those who were teaching in private institutions were badly affected. They were not getting payment. Even dugsis (madrasas) were affected. So, the children suffered because of education and the teachers suffered because of no work and payment. The parents suffered also; they had to care for their children all the time at home. So, some of them also closed their businesses because of the children. They did not want their children to go outside and extract the disease. Same time there is no caring center where they can take the children. So, everybody became stranded because of the disease and affected badly.

On top of the economic impact on businesses, another community worker, Fahmi, noted that remittances have also declined. He explained, “Because before Corona came, people were getting money from friends and relatives abroad. Even now collection of food has changed to two months’ interval. This has badly affected the community.” Though the COVID rules were helpful public health measures, they were woefully inadequate considering the huge need and scarcity of resources (i.e., face masks, hand sanitizers, etc.) and health personnel in the camps. As well, it had the effect of amplifying the isolation of encamped refugees who were already on the social, economic, and political outskirts of the country. The indefinite nature of the pandemic for the foreseeable future compounds other negative social effects of encampment such as limited mobility and lack of employment rights.

After the first upsurge of the pandemic, when life in the camps became normal again following the lifting of many of the public health restrictions, businesses still experienced multiple challenges. Most small-scale businesses collapsed because the owners used the capital. Even some private organizations, like the African Entrepreneur Collective (AEC), have moved to Dadaab to support refugees and the host community to thrive in business, government policies of refugee immobility and documentation are still some of the barriers in Dadaab.

Lack of proper planning in the design of markets in the three camps have also contributed to many losses. Businesses in the Dadaab camps are prone to fire, leading to major financial losses. Last year, in December 2021, the market in the Dagahaley camp was completely consumed by fire. ��The market in the Ifo camp has also experienced two consecutive attacks by fire. The worst one happened in the middle of the night in June 2022 and left many people with serious losses of their property. The fire was caused by electrical short-circuiting in one of the shops. People managed to contain its spread to other places, but not before the fire burned a quarter of the market.

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Finally, the war between Russia and Ukraine is causing unprecedented challenges in the Dadaab refugee camps. Prices of basic commodities are rising at an alarming rate. This is a big problem in the camps, where most incentive workers earn less than one hundred US dollars a month.

Overall, from the pandemic to fires, the last few years have been devastating for refugee businesses and for the ability of refugees to be self-reliant. Combined with a rising cost of living, it is increasingly difficult for residents of Dadaab to access necessities.

Working Paper 18

By Okello Oyat, Ochan Leomoi, Arte Dagane, Abdikadir Abikar, Dadaab Response Association

Executive Summary

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in school closures globally, including in the Dadaab refugee camps. This study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education in the Dadaab refugee camps. Based on semi-structured interviews with refugee educators and service providers in the camps, we found out how the pandemic has negatively affected young refugees’ lives. While the schools attempted to implement distance education, it was ineffective overall. In addition to disrupting learning, there were many negative consequences of the school closures, including the cancellation of school feeding programs, worsened social issues, and a rise in mental health issues and suicides. While the issues highlighted in this paper are connected to the impacts of COVID-19, most of the issues were long-standing structural problems that already existed in the camp, including limited resources, funding shortfalls, overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of trained teachers, and limited Internet infrastructure. As a result, it has been challenging to reopen schools and to offer quality education to students. If donors and NGOs want to tackle the adverse social effects of the pandemic for students, they will have to not only reopen schools and mitigate the risks of contracting the coronavirus, but also address the underlying challenges of living, learning, and teaching in a space that is organized to exclude and immobilize refugees.

This study makes several recommendations on how to “build back better” to improve refugee education going forward in Dadaab. Although the pandemic brought significant challenges in Dadaab, it also provided an opportunity to explore how refugees can work out their own agency for survival, without the physical presence and intervention of the humanitarian workers and the Government of Kenya. This opportunity for agency was especially important in a camp setting that is designed to sequester refugee residents and make them vulnerable, voiceless, and dependent on humanitarian handouts. Future education initiatives must include meaningful refugee participation and leadership from refugee-led organizations and initiatives. There is a need to hire more qualified teachers on the ground to address the significant teacher shortage. The agencies handling education should ensure that all schools can access learning through digital platforms by providing all the required infrastructure and technologies. Teachers in Dadaab should receive training on how to use technology to deliver lessons to students, to take advantage of alternative teaching methods in case schools close again. Finally, as schools reopen, it is important to make sure that different groups of learners are not left behind, especially refugee girls.

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DOI

Citation

Oyat, M. O., Ochan, R. O., Dagane, A. S., Abdikadir A, B. (2022). The Impact of COVID-19 on Education and Youth Well-Being in the Dadaab Refugee Camps. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN).

Arte Saman Dagane, Member of the Dadaab Response Association, Graduate of the Master of Education, York University

Abdullahi Yussuf Aden, Graduate of the Master of Education, York University Borderless Higher Education for Refugees Program

Executive Summary

This paper is a modified version of a Major Research Paper for the Master of Education degree at York University as part of the Borderless Higher Education for Refugees project, which provides education to the community living in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya. This collaborative paper investigates and discusses the causes and consequences of female student dropout in a secondary school in the Dadaab refugee camps. It adopted a qualitative research design, conducting individual interviews with four female participants: two currently in school and two who have dropped out. Family relationships, family education, household income, gendered traditions and school-related factors emerged as key factors influencing the decision to drop out or stay in school. Family members who encourage female students contribute to retention, while household financial difficulties, gendered traditions, and aspects of the school system such as a lack of female teachers contributes toward dropout. The structure of the education system, policies, practices and the role of the school, implementing organizations, and the community were emphasized. We conclude with recommendations for teachers, schools and NGOs: introducing cash payments to support families with girls in school, sensitizing the community about the significance of education for girls, involving parents and family members in girls’ education, setting up measures to monitor student attendance with regular follow-up, employing more female teachers in schools, establishing peer mentoring partnerships, and involving female learners in policy decisions.

Read the full Working Paper here:

View the full LERRN Working Paper Series here:

DOI

Citation

Dagane, A. S., Aden, A. Y. (2021). The Causes of Female Student Dropout in a Secondary School in the Dadaab Refugee Camps of Kenya. Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN).