East Africa: A Refugee Haven Under Threat

The Brief highlights the growing needs for refugees across the region as well as the increased financial and humanitarian pressure on host governments that threaten the viability and success of some of the most progressive refugee policies in the world.

In the region, Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia are some living examples of efforts undertaken by governments to adopt policies that, in theory, promote refugee protection and integration. However, major implementation gaps remain. These gaps are increasingly exacerbated by the recurrent and protracted nature of the crises pushing people to flee their homes in and around East Africa, as well as the accelerating rate at which donor funding for refugee responses dwindles.

The brief argues that at a time when cost-effectiveness is more important than ever, refugee-hosting governments and their international donors should redouble efforts to pursue two clear priorities: addressing the root causes of the crises people continue to flee, and accelerating progress on refugee self-reliance and integration.