PETITION CLOSED

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  1. Signatures
    12 out of 100
    Petitioning
    1. Kenya (+ 5 others)
      Petitioning
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      • Kenya (New York Consulate)
      • Kenya (Los Angeles Consulate)
      • Kenya (Washington Embassy)
      • Kenya (New York Consulate)
      • Kenya (Los Angeles Consulate)
      • Kenya (Washington Embassy)
  2. Created By
    Courtney Adams
    Denver, CO
About this Petition Petition Letter

I found this on the website of Amnesty International Canada:

Armed conflict in Somalia has forced thousands of Somalis to seek asylum in Kenya.  However on January 3, 2007, The Kenyan government claimed to have ‘security concerns’ and closed its border with Somalia.  On the same day at least 420 Somalis who had already crossed into Kenya were forcibly returned to Somalia by the Kenyan authorities. These actions put thousands of lives at risk.  Many of the people trying to flee Somalia now live in extremely difficult conditions at the border with Kenya.  As ‘internally displaced people’ they do not receive aid or humanitarian assistance.

While the Kenyan government has the right to control its borders, this right is not absolute.  Under international refugee law people seeking protection must be allowed to enter another country.

Kenya has violated its international legal obligations by returning refugees to Somalia at a time when there is armed conflict in Somalia. Urge the government of Kenya to protect these refugees.

Recent Signatures

Protect Somali Refugees

Dear Ambassador Ogego,

While the Kenyan government has the right to control its borders, this right is not absolute.  Under international refugee law people seeking protection must be allowed to enter another country.

Kenya has violated its international legal obligations by returning refugees to Somalia at a time when there is armed conflict in Somalia. I call on the Kenyan government to:

* re-open its border with Somalia in order to allow entry to all individuals fleeing the conflict inside Somalia and seek international protection in Kenya;

* ensure that all individuals seeking refuge in Kenya have access to effective protection through either a group determination process, or to a fair and satisfactory individualised asylum procedure, with due observance of procedural safeguards;

* instruct and train all relevant border officials, including security personnel, on their duty to respect the principle of non-refoulement (which prohibits the return in any manner whatsoever of any person to a situation where s/he would be a risk of torture, persecution or other forms of ill-treatment or punishment) and the duty not to reject an asylum claim without reference to the relevant authorities;

* allow the UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies to deliver aid and other humanitarian assistance to all asylum-seekers regardless of their date of arrival into Kenya;allow humanitarian assistance across the border to IDPs on a regular, predictable and safe basis;

* ensure that no asylum-seeker is forcibly returned to Somalia where his or her life or freedom would be threatened or where he or she might be at risk of serious human rights violations.

Thank you,

[Your name]

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