Afghan refugees in a camp in Kenya. Photo from GoGetFunding website.
A group of Afghan refugees who relocated to Kenya after the Taliban returned to power say they are trapped in a prolonged state of uncertainty, unable to secure resettlement in a third country and unable to establish stable lives where they are.
According to a report by Afghanistan International, the group includes former members of Afghanistan’s security forces as well as civilians who left the country out of fear of Taliban reprisals. After the collapse of the previous government in August 2021, some Afghans fled to neighboring countries such as Iran, while others sought entry to more distant destinations, including Kenya.
Some said they applied for Kenyan visas online, believing the country could serve as a temporary stop before resettlement elsewhere. They expected access to humanitarian assistance and the possibility of pursuing protection through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR.
Instead, several Afghan refugees say they have found themselves in legal and economic limbo.
There are no publicly available official figures on the number of Afghan nationals currently in Kenya seeking resettlement, and UN agencies have not published specific data. One report in August 2024 said there are around 1,000 Afghan nationals in Kenya. Afghan community members estimate that the number is in the hundreds, possibly higher.
Kenya already hosts more than 500,000 refugees, primarily from countries in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region, according to UNHCR. It is one of Africa’s largest refugee-hosting nations, and its asylum system is under significant strain.
Refugees whose asylum claims have not been formally recognized are not permitted to work under Kenyan law. With high unemployment and widespread poverty, opportunities are limited even for citizens. Development data indicate that a significant share of Kenya’s population lives below the poverty line. Afghans who do not speak Swahili or English say they face additional barriers.
Some Afghan refugees have alleged that they encounter difficulty accessing asylum procedures and submitting documentation. They say they have faced hostility and obstacles when approaching relevant offices. UNHCR has not publicly addressed those specific claims.
Afghan refugees living in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwestern Kenya say their conditions have deteriorated in recent months and that they feel increasingly overlooked by the international community, according to Afghanistan International’s report in which Afghan families in Kamaku have been interviewed. Kakuma is among the world’s largest refugee camps and houses people displaced from multiple countries.
For many Afghans in Kenya, returning home is not seen as a viable option, particularly for former security personnel who fear retaliation. Yet without clear pathways to resettlement and with limited prospects for integration locally, they say they remain in a state of uncertainty — unable to return and unable to move forward.