• 2025-09-09

What Is Behind Kenya’s Decision to Stop Registering Eritreans as Refugees?

By Prof. Benjamin Sango – Executive Director, L’Afrikana Kenya & Canada

The Announcement That Shook Communities In recent months, the Government of Kenya quietly but decisively suspended the registration of Eritrean asylum seekers as refugees. The announcement was met with confusion, fear, and frustration not only among Eritrean communities in Kenya but also within the broader humanitarian sector. For Eritreans fleeing one of the most closed and repressive regimes in the world, Kenya had long represented a fragile lifeline. To be told, “You cannot register here” is to be told, “You cannot exist here.” But what lies behind this decision? And more importantly what does it mean for the universal right to seek asylum? Behind the Curtain: Politics and Policy The decision to stop Eritrean refugee registration cannot be divorced from geopolitics. Kenya, like many host countries, constantly balances its domestic priorities with international obligations, regional alliances, and security concerns. Several factors may be at play: 1. Shifting Regional Relations – The Horn of Africa is politically volatile, with changing alliances between Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and other actors. Eritrean refugees often sit at the uncomfortable intersection of these tensions. 2. National Security Lens – Governments sometimes frame refugee policies in terms of security, portraying certain groups as “risky.” But too often, these arguments generalize and stigmatize entire communities. 3. Strained Resources – With donor fatigue and cuts to humanitarian funding, Kenya may feel overwhelmed. But blocking registration is not a solution it is a denial of rights. 4. Pressure From Partners – Both regional bodies and global partners can quietly influence such policies. Sometimes, the most vulnerable pay the price for diplomacy.

The Human Cost of Non Registration Behind every statistic is a life. Stopping registration does not stop displacement it only strips people of recognition, protection, and dignity. For Eritrean asylum seekers in Kenya, this means: • No legal refugee status → No access to formal work, education, or health services. • Risk of arrest or detention → Living in constant fear of being undocumented. • Invisible suffering → Communities pushed further into the shadows, with no recourse to protection mechanisms. Let us be clear: to deny registration is to deny protection. The Right to Seek Asylum Is Not Optional The 1951 Refugee Convention, to which Kenya is a party, enshrines the right to seek asylum. The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights reinforces it. And Kenya’s own Refugee Act (2021) upholds it. This decision, therefore, is not just a policy choice it is a contradiction of Kenya’s legal and moral commitments. At its heart, it raises a profound question: Are we safeguarding borders, or are we safeguarding lives? Advocating for the Right to “Slum” At L’Afrikana, we often speak of the right to “slum” a phrase drawn from the reality that many displaced people find themselves in urban slums, informal settlements, and overlooked spaces. To “slum” is not a choice it is a survival strategy. Every person has the right to seek refuge, whether in a camp or a city. Every person has the right to recognition, regardless of their nationality. By denying Eritreans registration, Kenya is effectively denying this right the right to be seen, to belong, to live with dignity. A Call to Action To the Government of Kenya: We urge a reversal of this decision. Refugee protection must never be sacrificed on the altar of politics or scarcity. To international partners: Support Kenya in upholding its obligations. Provide the resources needed so that no group is scapegoated or excluded. To civil society and refugee led organizations: Raise your voice. Document the impact. Stand with Eritrean brothers and sisters whose silence is not voluntary but imposed. Conclusion: Humanity Before Politics Stopping Eritreans from registering as refugees is not just a bureaucratic act—it is a humanitarian wound. It sends a chilling message: “Your pain does not count.” But at L’Afrikana, we believe every displacement counts. Every asylum claim matters. Every life is worth protecting. The right to slum, the right to seek safety, the right to dream—these are not privileges. They are birthrights. And until they are recognized for Eritreans and for all displaced people, our work is not done. ✍🏾 Prof. Benjamin Sango Executive Director, L’Afrikana Kenya & Canada #RefugeeRights #EritreanRefugees #Kenya #HumanitarianShift #Lafrikana #AsylumIsARight #NoOneLeftBehind