[{"bbox": [96, 153, 1136, 472], "category": "Text", "text": "encampment policy may be eased. Aside from the formal legal barriers that restrict prospects for refugee inclusion and self-reliance, there are also a number of informal barriers including administrative hurdles, stigma, and lack of awareness amongst refugees of their rights. Despite its long-standing effort as a host country, there have been several public announcements to close the camps, most recently in March 2021. However, in April 2022 the Government announced to development partners that instead of closing the camps, it intends to transform them into settlements and to improve the integration of refugees in national systems. To this end, it has launched a process to develop the so-called ‘Marshall Plan for Refugee Management in Kenya’, in whose technical committee meetings the EU participates. While sudden policy shifts are still seen as a risk, a significant number of refugees are likely to remain in Kenya. An intention survey conducted in Dadaab (2021) confirmed that only a small percentage of refugee households is planning to return to their countries of origin. In fact, considering the regional instability, with conflict in Ethiopia and political turmoil in Somalia and South Sudan, the number of people seeking protection in Kenya may further increase."}, {"bbox": [96, 495, 1136, 895], "category": "Text", "text": "Hence the proposed Action remains timely and relevant to the current context. As for the EU's agenda, this Action responds to GCR objective 1 and 2, thereby confirming the Commission's pledge to back-up the Compact with tangible support. The EU's continued support in this area will ensure EU commitment to international standards on migration and forced displacement are met. EU leadership will therefore remain recognised, while being able to foster closer links with key actors in the sector, including national authorities (Ministry of Interior/Department of Refugee Services) and the hosting Counties. This will help Kenya meet its own international commitments at a time the country seeks to play a more active regional and international role. Due to the political sensitivities around the issue, close coordination between key stakeholders and development partners is crucial. Starting in 2022, the Netherlands together with EU chair the monthly Refugee Donor Group. The most active participants include Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, USA, UK, Switzerland, Canada, World Bank and IFC. The Action also draws upon the triple nexus approach (humanitarian, peace, development), through close partnership with DG ECHO, that has been supporting and ensuring access to food, water and basic services including in the health and education sectors to refugees. Acknowledging that development approaches require longer time-frames, such as the KISEDP model timeframe of 2030, the additional support will ensure that self-reliance gains achieved to this date can be sustained. Further support is also planned in second half of the MIP for 2025-2027."}, {"bbox": [85, 955, 342, 987], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 2.2 Problem Analysis"}, {"bbox": [96, 1027, 1136, 1533], "category": "Text", "text": "The protracted nature of forced displacement in Kenya is concerning, with most refugees remaining dependant on humanitarian assistance. This means they are not able to self-sustain themselves and their families and thus not able to play a meaningful role within their communities, both socially and economically. The reasons therefore can be broadly divided into the following: (i) Refugee hosting areas are located at the periphery of the country in marginalised areas with poor connections to economic hubs and (ii) Policy frameworks are restrictive in designating 'hosting areas' and limiting access to identification and employment opportunities. As a result, socio-economic conditions of refugees remain poor. A multi-sectoral needs assessment carried out in 2020 found that across the two camp settings, the most reported source of income by households remains humanitarian assistance.¹ Recent data from Kakuma indicates that '78% of refugees are outside the labour force, compared with 35% of Turkana hosts and 26% of Kenyans overall'.² Plus, several specific sectors show alarming and emergency levels, including on food security, nutrition and education. More than 50% of refugees in Kakuma/Kalobeyei have poor food security scores, whereas this number is slightly higher for Dadaab. Due to competition over scarce natural resources, such as water and firewood, conflict between displacement affected communities occurs already and may intensify in the future. The impact of climate change and as a result the risk of desertification is omnipresent and might lead to onward movements or future new displacements. In addition, the proximity to Somalia has led to concerns about Al Shabaab presence in the camps, especially Dadaab, with the potential for recruitment among refugees who lack access to education and job opportunities. Lastly, the dependency on external assistance further fuels an image of refugees as a burden on hosting countries, even though a number of studies have highlighted the sizeable markets that exist in and around the camps and the significant potential for further economic"}, {"bbox": [85, 1597, 979, 1623], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹ Carried out by REACH Initiative in close collaboration with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)"}, {"bbox": [85, 1621, 332, 1644], "category": "Footnote", "text": "² World Bank/UNHCR, 2021"}, {"bbox": [1037, 1680, 1144, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 6 of 24"}]