A LETTER, DIALOGUE, SILENCE: UPDATE ON EXIT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 000598 SIPDIS ROME PLEASE PASS TO DHS DEPARTMENT FOR PRM/A (PLEASE PASS TO DHS/USCIS) SENSITIVE -- ENTIRE TEXT -- NOT FOR INTERNET POSTING E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF CVIS KE SUBJECT: A LETTER, DIALOGUE, SILENCE: UPDATE ON EXIT PERMITS FOR PRIORITY 3 AND VISA 93 REFUGEES REFTEL: A) NAIROBI 525 B) NAIROBI 413 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The GOK recently informed Refcoord and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) that the government would soon stop issuing exit permits for refugees not recognized by UNHCR. A large percentage of refugees resettled out of Kenya fall into this category. Refcoord has been working with partners to maximize speedy departures of such refugees and with the government to try to maximize the grace period, while continuing dialogue aimed at avoiding the shutdown if possible. IOM has received an official letter giving a final date for exit permits for "non-UNHCR" refugees, but the head of Refugees Department in the government has verbally indicated that the program may continue for now. He has said he wants assistance with his department's capacity to make refugee status determinations, but has not yet provided details. For now, no bookings have been cancelled. END SUMMARY. -------------- Background -------------- ¶2. (U) Definitions: Priority 3 (P-3) beneficiaries are refugees for whom a petition known as an "affidavit of relationship" (AOR) has been filed through DHS Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) by an "anchor relative" who has been admitted to the U.S. either as a refugee or an asylee, or has become a Permanent Resident Alien. Such "anchors" can file for parents, spouses, or unmarried children who are refugees. CIS rules on the refugee claim as well as the credibility of the relationship. Visa 93 beneficiaries are similar, but the "anchors" must be Permanent Resident Aliens who were admitted to the U.S. as refugees, the beneficiaries are limited to derivative spouses and unmarried children under 21 years old, and the petition is form I-730. Both categories are significant parts of the refugee resettlement program out of Nairobi, which covers East, Central, and Southern Africa. -------------- Background Continued: the Shut-down Message -------------- ¶3. (SBU) On January 24, Peter Kusimba, the new "Head of Refugees Department" at the Ministry of Immigration and Registration of Persons, told Refugee Coordinator (Refcoord) that "the message from my government" is: Kenya will not continue issuing exit permits to those not identified by the UNHCR as refugees (see ref B). Since that time, Refcoord has been working with GOK officials, both directly and through IOM representatives who know the officials, in an attempt to either change the ruling or else maximize the "grace period" in which to move existing approved Priority 3 and Visas 93 refugees. END BACKGROUND. -------------- We've Spent a Lot Already -------------- ¶4. (SBU) After the January 24 meeting with Kusimba, Refcoord immediately began working with partner organizations IOM and JVA (the Joint Voluntary Agency, which does pre- and post- CIS processing of refugees) to maximize departures in February and weeks immediately following. On February 1, Refcoord was informed that Kusimba might be willing "administratively" to delay the "stop issuing" order on exit permits if Refcoord and IOM could make the case to him. When contacted by IOM, he agreed verbally to extend the March 1 cutoff date until he could meet with IOM and Refcoord. (IOM pays a penalty if it cancels bookings less than a month before a flight. Without Kusimba's assurance, IOM would have had to begin rolling cancellations of bookings starting February 1.) With the help of JVA and IOM, Refcoord compiled approximate figures for money spent on each of the CIS-approved P-3 and Visas-93 refugees, and a total number of those approved: about 4,800. Assuming that JVA had spent three quarters of last year's per-refugee figure, and IOM had spent one quarter of its per-refugee figure, Refcoord came up with an estimate of 2.4 million dollars already spent on these approved refugees. -------------- Official Grace Period: One Month -------------- ¶5. (SBU) On February 2 Bill Lorenz of IOM sent Refcoord a scanned copy of an official letter from Kusimba's boss at the Ministry of Immigration, Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Kisombe. The letter, addressed to IOM's David Derthick, instructed him that "persons to be considered for resettlement in other countries shall be restricted to those who are duly recognized as refugees and hold valid documents issued by the Government of Kenya and UNHCR...The embassies shall be informed of this decision with a request that they comply..." The letter notes that some arrangements have already been made for refugees NOT fitting this description, and states "it is decided that you be given one month to finalize all cases...This means that with effect from 1st March 2006 all departure cases will have fulfilled the description of refugees." -------------- New Crackdown on ALL Illegals Coming Up -------------- ¶6. (SBU) On February 3, Refcoord, accompanied by Bill Lorenz, called on Kusimba in his office. The atmospherics were better than on January 24, in that Kusimba was alone, but he began by announcing that the government would be starting an unannounced six-month crackdown on all illegal aliens in the country "next week." As this appeared to rule out any reversal of the ruling, Refcoord presented the spending figure for approved refugees and asked that the six- month crackdown coincide with a six-month exit permit grace period, given that it would take that long to move most of the approved refugees. He noted the considerable expenditures on these approved refugees to date. Kusimba took the spending figure on board, and said he would take it back to the Permanent Secretary and then see what flexibility the PS could offer. -------------- Offer to Help is on Hold -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Refcoord asked Kusimba if there were anything the U.S. might be able to do for the Government of Kenya to help in this situation. Kusimba then alleged that Kenya is "not treated as a partner" by the U.S. as well as by UNHCR. Specifically, he said his government has forwarded needy refugee cases to UNHCR for resettlement, but with no answer at all. He then made a plea for training and equipment (i.e. computers) that would allow his section to conduct refugee status determinations itself. Refcoord said he would relay the request to Washington. He asked Kusimba when he could hear details of what the GOK would like, and Kusimba said he would have an answer by February 8. However, Kusimba did not answer repeated telephone calls on February 8 and 9 from IOM personnel. When he finally answered his phone, he seemed annoyed at being pursued, but assured an IOM representative that business as usual should continue for the time being, so "don't worry." -------------- What About UNHCR? -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Refcoord has kept UNHCR fully informed of these discussions with the GOK. Several persons have asked, why can't UNHCR simply "approve" U.S. approvals in some way? We do not want to ask UNHCR to simply rubber-stamp CIS decisions, despite confidence in CIS and however convenient that might be for the program. One intermediate option might be for P-3 applicants to register with UNHCR as asylum seekers. Given the 9-month backlog (ref B),this would not lead to quick refugee status determinations by UNHCR. However, as a good-faith effort by P-3 refugees, it might be enough for the GOK to accept their presence in the country, and with luck allow them to depart if approved, rather than wait long months for an interview that would duplicate the CIS and JVA efforts and would lead to approval in most cases anyway. This idea will be taken up, if appropriate, when discussions resume. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶8. (SBU) It seems very likely that Kusimba simply cannot get an answer yet from his Permanent Secretary. Given the turmoil the government is going through (ref A),that is not surprising. Until an answer is received from Kusimba, we do not know what kind of grace period is on offer, or whether, with the offer of assistance in the air, the GOK will back down on the exit permit shutdown for the time being. BELLAMY