DRS SERVICES
Section 8. of the Refugee Act institutes, a Commissioner for Refugee Affairs who heads the Department. The role of the Commissioner is well defined in the Refugee Act of 2021. Refugee Act
The main Services offered at the Department are:
Reception & Registration
Refugee registration is the recording, verifying and updating of information on persons of concern (POCs) to the Government of Kenya with the aim of protecting, documenting and implementing durable solutions.
Upon arrival in Kenya, the Person of Concern (PoC) should declare their presence to the nearest administrative office/Officer. The officer should then refer the PoC to the nearest Department of Refugee Services (DRS) office. Registration process
Documentation
Entitlement to documentation is a right under the Refugee Act No. 10 of 2021 Section 28(6) that every refugee and every asylum seeker within Kenya shall be entitled to the rights and be subject— A refugee and an asylum seeker shall have the right to identification and civil registration documents and such documents shall be sufficient to identify a refugee or an asylum seeker for the purposes of access to rights and services under this Act and any other applicable law. Documentation Types
Protection
Legal protection for refugees begins when the POCs (person of concern) arrives at the borders of the asylum country, and then the concept of non-refoulement is applied, which states that no asylum-seeker should be returned to their place of origin or a third country where their lives may be at risk and that everyone has the right to seek refuge. More on Protection
Ongoing Protection: Case Management
Casework, is one of the most well-known forms of refugee protection, as caseworkers routinely track refugee problems and work to find efficient solutions. This can be related to a variety of protective issues such as Gender-Based Violence, Child Protection, Health Concerns, and Education.Case Management
Refugee Status Determination (RSD)
RSD is the eligibility process where Applicants-Asylum Seekers are interviewed by the RSD officer to determine whether they have met the criteria for refugee status, and then this is followed by an assessment, decision-making and review process. This stage does not assure one of attaining a refugee status, one can either be approved or rejected. In cases where one is rejected, they can appeal to the Refugee Appeals Board (RAB) . Eligibility process
Durable Solutions and Relocations
This is where refugees are offered various permanent solutions for their settlement. Solutions at Hand