The United Nations (UN) has expressed worry over the return of four Turkish refugees from Kenya. Human rights groups say they were abducted and sent back against their will’ an action that violates international law.
Kenya’s foreign ministry confirmed that the individuals – Mustafa Genc, Huseyin Yesilsu, Ozturk Uzun, and Alparslan Tasci – were returned to Turkey last Friday. This action came after reports emerged that they were abducted in Nairobi, Kenya, along with three others who were later released.
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said in a statement to AFP that it was “deeply concerned by the refoulement of four refugees from Kenya”.
It called on Kenya’s government “to abide by their international legal obligations and in particular, to respect the principle of non-refoulement, which protects asylum-seekers and refugees from any measure that could lead to their removal to a place where their life or freedom would be threatened”.
Kenya’s foreign ministry said it had received assurances from Turkey that the four will be “treated with dignity”.
“This incident constitutes a breach of both Kenya and international refugee law,” Amnesty International said on Saturday before the repatriation had been confirmed.
“Their abductions underscore the growing concerns about the safety of all refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya.”
An alliance of Kenyan rights groups, the Police Reforms Working Group, expressed shock at the government’s action, saying it had “placed four human beings at grave risk as well as Kenya’s standing as a sanctuary nation”.
The action was described as undermining Kenya’s credibility as a new member of the UN Human Rights Council. According to the foreign ministry, Kenya is currently hosting over 780,000 refugees.
