Kenya

Somalia

South Sudan

Ethiopia

In 2009, the sprawling refugee camps of Dadaab in Kenya, home to over 300,000 souls seeking refuge, saw the introduction of a new verification system. UNHCR's intent was simple: ensure every person was rightfully tied to their given identity document. The system was advanced, deploying biometric fingerprint technology in its early years, and I was at the centre of it. The promise was clear: a more efficient system to prevent fraud and ensure resources were accurately distributed. Yet the reality on the ground painted a different, more complex picture. Engaging with the community primarily involved communication through elected leaders, predominantly male elders from majority clans, inadvertently sidelining women and minority clan voices. Safety concerns restricted our mobility in the camp, often requiring vulnerable residents with severe medical conditions to endure hours-long walks just to reach verification sites. The fear of losing their ration cards, a lifeline in such settings, was palpable. Imagine: 2,000 people congregating daily, anxiety evident in their eyes, trying to prove their existence, identity, and right to assistance. The resulting chaos and tension often led to Kenyan police and soldiers exerting 'reasonable force', which in reality were physical beatings. And then, there were the silent challenges. No structured process existed for residents to contest inactivation or de-registration decisions. Health complications, no matter how severe, didn't guarantee prioritization for resettlement to third countries due to the anticipated high medical costs. This exercise was not just about numbers and technology. It was about people, their hopes, fears, and aspirations. Yet many of these challenges, from the institutional to the human, never made it to official narratives. There was no acknowledgment of the heavy recruitment by Islamist al-Shabab militants within the camps, for fear of inciting political tensions with the Kenyan government or jeopardising funding. The image portrayed was that of a seamless, efficient system. But, as with many things, the true story lay beneath, in the lived experiences of the very people that passed through the verification Rubb Halll in chaos.

Verification Exercise 

Global

Q. If you had to imagine for the people to communicate what matters to them the most without UNHCR’s mediation, how would it look like? Probably, the most effective tool would have to be a representative one. But I think that should be augmented where individuals can also communicate, so that their voice isn't lost by the representative group. In some ways in some jurisdictions, you can get portals where a person of concern can communicate directly with the body through a portal that is connected to their number and application.&nbsp;&nbsp;Maybe UNHCR would not be able to cope with the potential volume of this. I doubt that you'd get meaningful responses from UNHCR too often, just because it would be overwhelmed.&nbsp; If there was a representative body, it should be one where you know the representatives rotate a lot, so that there's no nepotism or power structures growing up within the group. UNHCR could be more proactive in meeting with the community and make it more regular and allow communities to respond to whatever the UNHCR is saying is the situation, and those responses would have to be included in UNHCR’s publications, and then the UNHCR would have to respond to that response as well. All the sitrep updates should include an uncensored section for the communities’ take on it all. Q. Are policies, systems, tools, infrastructures behind UNHCR’s publicly available narrative representative of the people whom the organization serves? Sometimes the work is just sticking band-aids on problems that are going on….&nbsp; Internally, if there were very problematic staff, usually steps are taken by UNHCR or they are moved to a different unit where they work better. I mean, there are so many sides to UNHCR, there are some people at UNHCR who do think about these things and there are some who don’t.

Community Representation

The reliance on primarily male elders from majority clans for community communication meant that the voices of women and minority clans were side-lined. This neglects the right to equal participation and can further disenfranchise already vulnerable groups. The inability of NGO and UNHCR workers to access large areas of the camp without armed escort hindered the provision of assistance and placed refugees with severe medical conditions at an added risk. Vulnerable residents, including those with severe medical conditions, having to undertake hours-long walks to the verification sites violates their right to humane treatment, especially considering their already precarious health situations. The use of "reasonable force" is a violation of the right to personal safety and freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. The absence of a structured process for refugees to appeal inactivation or de-registration decisions negates their right to a fair due process. Not prioritising individuals with severe medical conditions for resettlement based on anticipated medical costs neglects the right to health. The anxiety and stress induced by the verification process, especially the fear of losing ration cards, impacts mental well-being. Not revealing the actual challenges and complexities of the verification process to stakeholders and the broader public can be seen as a lack of transparency and accountability.

Inside Registration Data: Refugee Camp Dynamics

This guidance is designed to ensure that the registration of individuals of concern is conducted efficiently and in accordance with international standards as a resource for UNHCR staff, partner organizations, and governments involved in the registration and identity management of persons of concern. Below are the key steps and components covered in this guidance:

1. Introduction: This section provides an overview of the entire registration and identity management process. It outlines the importance of registration in the context of UNHCR's work.

2. Working with Governments and Other Partners: UNHCR collaborates closely with host governments and various partners during the registration process. This collaboration is crucial for the successful implementation of registration activities.

3. Planning and Preparing Registration and Identity Management Systems: Planning is a critical phase in registration. This section explains how UNHCR plans and prepares for registration activities, including the selection of appropriate tools and technology.

4. Communicating with Communities about Registration: Effective communication with the affected communities is essential. UNHCR emphasizes the importance of transparent and inclusive communication to ensure that individuals of concern understand the purpose and benefits of registration.

5. Implementing Registration within an Identity Management Framework: Registration is integrated into a broader identity management framework. This section elaborates on how identity management is structured and implemented.

6. Emergency Registration: In emergency situations, rapid registration is essential. UNHCR provides guidance on conducting registration efficiently in emergency contexts.

7. Working with Registration Data: Data management is a critical aspect of registration. UNHCR outlines procedures for the secure collection, storage, and handling of registration data.

8. Continuous Registration and Verification: Registration is an ongoing process. UNHCR explains how continuous registration and verification activities are conducted to maintain accurate and up-to-date records.


UNHCR Guidance on Registration and Identity Management

How can I keep my registration records updated?

You should be able to access, verify, correct, and update your personal data when they report to UNHCR for any other services. Seek information from the UNHCR office on where you  they need to go, what you need to do and how how you can update and correct your personal data. Ask if the office has a  model template that you can use  to respond to your request to update, correct, and object to data.

Right to update, Correct, and Object to Data

The right to an effective remedy, though not explicitly detailed in refugee-specific laws, is a cornerstone of international human rights law and, by extension, should be applied universally. The right to an effective remedy means you have the ability to seek justice if something goes wrong in your asylum journey. So, no matter what part of your journey you're in – whether it's how you're treated, a decision about your status, or any other action affecting you – you always have the right to challenge it and seek correction or justice from UNHCR.

Right to an Effective Remedy

Fair Protection Processes:

UNHCR collaborated with the Government of Kenya and
other partners to provide protection and assistance to
more than 430,800 asylum-seekers and refugees living in
the Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps, as well as in 
Nairobi and other urban areas.

Some 90,400 new arrivals were registered by UNHCR
and the National Registration Bureau (NRB). UNHCR
and the NRB also conducted the verification of all
refugees in Dadaab, following which NRB begun issuing
identity cards to verified refugees. In Kakuma, the
verification exercise began in December 2010.


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