On the 30th of April, over 60 LGBTQ+ refugees at the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya assembled to stage a mini-protest. The Police immediately dispersed the protesting group at the refugee camp using teargas. According to the report by the Africa Human Rights Coalition, Nobody was seriously injured. Although, Eleven refugees sustained minor injuries and were taken to the hospital where they received treatment and they have now been discharged. The group of refugees who staged the protest were asylum seekers who fear for their lives because of security concerns and want to be granted asylum in a western country.
“In order to address the group’s security concerns, the Police have announced enhanced measures in the area where they reside in the camp, including a security helpline number through which incidents can be reported 24/7,” The press release by the African Human Rights Coalition says. “UNHCR has offered additional counselling to individuals within the group who may wish to discuss personal concerns. We urge all concerned to show restraint at this challenging time and to respect all measures put in place by the Government of Kenya to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and protect the health of all refugees and host communities.”
The report also says, “While we respect the right to protest, I want to repeat that during this pandemic the collective good of all must be taken into account and that includes the respect and well-being of the several hundred LGBTI refugees who refused to protest along with the smaller group, as well as considering the health and CoronaVirus related measures that impact all 200,000 refugees in the area. We are pleased special measures have been put into place to reassure those concerned with security.”
“As Executive Director of African HRC,” Melanie Nathan, executive director of the AHRC said, “I note that this could have been a lot worse, given the volatility of the situation. Knowing the police in Kenya this is actually a measured response as it could’ve been a lot worse. AHRC reiterates the importance of following camp rules and Kenyan laws, especially at a time like this. While we respect the right to protest, I want to repeat that during this pandemic the collective good of all must be taken into account and that includes the respect and well-being of the several hundred LGBTI refugees who refused to protest along with the smaller group, as well as considering the health and CoronaVirus related measures that impact all 200,000 refugees in the area. We are pleased special measures have been put into place to reassure those concerned with security.”
