Written question asked by Rushanara Ali (Labour) on Tuesday, 19 July 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 5 September 2011. It was answered by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Wednesday, 7 September 2011 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Kenya: Refugees

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to support UN efforts to encourage the Kenyan Government to allow the expansion of refugee camps in Kenya.

Answer: The UK Government have been pressing the Government of Kenya throughout 2011 on the need to allocate more space for refugee camps, working closely with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The Minister for Internal Security recently confirmed that they would open Ifo II camp in Dadaab, which is expected to be occupied by approximately 40,000 refugees. However, with nearly 1,300 people, including children, arriving from Somalia on a daily basis, the process of decongesting the Dadaab camps needs to be accelerated. I raised these points with the Kenyan Prime Minister and the Minister for Internal Security during my visit to Kenya in July. The UK is also providing a substantial package of financial support through UN agencies, to assist new refugees in the Dadaab camps.

Secondary information