Addis Ababa, 27 August 2014 (WIC) – The UN Refugee Agency said Tuesday it plans to start a pilot project to support ongoing spontaneous returns of Somali refugees living in Kenya’s refugee camp, China’s Xinhua news agency reported.
UNHCR Country Representative Raouf Mazou emphasized that the planned repatriation will be voluntary and expressed the agency’s commitment to support spontaneous return movements.
“Most of the refugee population in Dadaab is of Somali origin, the majority of who are from South and Central Somalia.
The volatile situation in these parts of the country has hindered the refugees from considering a return home,” Mazou said in a statement issued in Nairobi.
According to the UNHCR, many Somalis have expressed interest in going back, and are following the political and security situation closely.