Kenya

Kenya has the fifth largest refugee population in Africa and the 11th largest in the world. The basis for Kenya’s national PoC legal framework are two government acts in addition to being a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention. A main challenge for PoCs is the untimeliness and lack of accessibility to documentation, with undocumented PoCs in threat of detention and deportation (GFI). Work permits are available for PoCs however the process is lengthy and inconsistent, leading to less than 100 PoCs receiving work permits annually. Business licenses however are easier to obtain and most PoCs opt for this option. The majority of PoCs find employment in competitive informal sectors with Kenya’s business community hesitant to engage them in the labour market. The main livelihoods activities for PoCs are business at 43%, casual labour at 27.05%, begging at 7% and aid at 5%.The main challenges for PoCs consist of limited movement and access to work permits as well as a lack of capital in which to start a business.