Kenya hosts over 770,000 refugees and asylum seekers, with the majority living in the Dadaab and Kakuma-Kalobeyei refugee camps. Kenyan legislation allows refugees to engage in gainful employment through Class M work permits and to set up businesses through county-level business licences. In practice, however, access to work permits and business licences is complicated by several barriers, including complex application processes, high fees, documentation requirements, and limited awareness among both refugees and employers. The report examines the gaps between policy and practice of refugee access to formal employment in Kenya and identifies what support is needed to improve access to sustainable livelihoods for urban and camp refugees.
Pathways to employment: Kenya report
Uwezo Ramazani and Fardosa Salah
