Kenya’s progress in strengthening its asylum system is at risk as declining international support threatens efforts to process refugee claims.
A new report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warns that reduced funding and technical assistance are undermining the country’s capacity to provide timely protection to people fleeing conflict and persecution.
“Support to the Government for asylum fell by 43% between 2025 and 2026, alongside a substantial reduction in UNHCR technical support,” the report says.
The funding decline comes as Kenya grapples with a substantial backlog of asylum applications, leaving thousands of people in prolonged uncertainty over their legal status and access to protection.
According to the report, more than 229,000 asylum-seekers are awaiting decisions, with waiting times exceeding 3.5 years.
The delays have consequences beyond administrative inconvenience, with asylum-seekers remaining without refugee documentation for years, limiting their access to healthcare, work rights and opportunities for inclusion.
The report warns that the absence of documentation also increases physical protection risks, potentially leaving applicants more vulnerable while they wait for their claims to be determined.
“In Kenya, important progress made by the Government to strengthen the asylum system is now at risk,” it says.
The warning raises questions about the sustainability of reforms in refugee-hosting countries when the international financial and technical assistance needed to implement them declines.
Kenya hosts a substantial refugee and asylum-seeker population, placing pressure on registration, documentation and protection systems. UNHCR statistics for August 2025 recorded 860,297 refugees and asylum-seekers in the country, including 229,521 people with pending asylum claims.
The latest report suggests that the challenge is not simply the number of people seeking protection, but the capacity of institutions to determine claims within a reasonable period.
For people fleeing persecution, conflict or other serious threats, an asylum decision can determine whether they receive formal protection or face the prospect of returning to danger.
The report cautions that prolonged uncertainty has wider implications, noting that “people can remain in uncertainty for years, protection decisions are delayed, and the risk of refoulement and onward movement increases.”
Refoulement refers to the forced return of refugees or asylum-seekers to territories where they may face persecution or serious threats to their safety.
Kenya has faced scrutiny over the treatment and return of Somali refugees in previous years. In April 2014, UNHCR raised concerns after more than 1,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, mostly Somalis, were rounded up in Nairobi during a security operation. Eighty-two Somalis were deported to Mogadishu, with at least one reportedly recognised as a refugee.
Human Rights Watch also raised concerns in 2016 over Somalia-bound refugee returns, reporting that some people believed they had little choice but to return. The organisation warned that returns under such circumstances could amount to refoulement.
These historical cases do not establish that the current asylum backlog has resulted in forced returns. However, they underline the importance of effective asylum procedures and safeguards against returning people to danger.
The funding shortfall also raises broader questions about the responsibility of international partners towards countries hosting large refugee populations. While national governments are responsible for administering asylum systems, UNHCR and its partners provide financial, technical and operational support to strengthen protection arrangements.
Sustaining progress will require adequate resources to process pending claims, issue documentation and ensure that asylum-seekers can access the protection to which they are entitled.
The report’s warning is that these gains cannot be taken for granted. Without sufficient support, reforms intended to strengthen asylum procedures risk losing momentum, leaving more people in prolonged uncertainty and increasing pressure on an already stretched protection system.
