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Refugees and asylum seekers

Refugees and asylum seekers

The 1951 Refugee Convention defines a refugee as someone who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country”.The East and Horn of Africa continues to suffer from conflict and displacement.

©UNHCR/Charity Nzomo

Asylum-seekers

An asylum-seeker is an individual who has fled their country of origin and applied for asylum in another country, but their claim to refugee status has not yet been processed. Not every asylum-seeker will ultimately be recognized as a refugee, but every refugee was initially an asylum-seeker.

In Kenya, UNHCR works to protect asylum-seekers, including working with the Government to ensure they continue to access safety.

Refugees

Refugees are people fleeing conflict, persecution and human rights abuses who have crossed a border into another country. Often, when refugees arrive at a safe location they are hungry, traumatized and exhausted after a long and dangerous journey, many carrying little more than the clothes on their backs. 

UNHCR has been assisting refugees for more than three decades in Kenya. We respond with life-saving support, safeguard their fundamental human rights and develop long-term solutions to ensure they find a safe place to call home where they can build a better future.