The Integration of Refugees into Host Communities: A Case Study of the Integration of Refugees from the Democratic Republic Of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi in Nairobi County, Kenya

This is a study on the local integration of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study chose those three countries because the civil unrest leading to expulsion and fleeing of the citizens happened more than two decades ago and continues to this day. The objective of the study was to examine the extent of local integration of refugees from the three countries in Nairobi County in Kenya. Forms of integration studied were economic, social and legal integration, the challenges in the process of legal integration, and the knowledge and practice on the encampment policy as implemented in Nairobi. The study used two theoretical models to explain the process of refugee integration: the Ager and Strang conceptual model and the theory of acculturation in understanding the integration process of refugees from the three countries. While the two theories are used, the anchor theory is the Ager and Strang conceptual model that relates to this study’s objectives. The research design used mixed methods approach in studying the case of refugees’ integration in Kenya from the three countries. The sample reached was forty-five refugee respondents through convenience sampling. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. The findings point that the refugees encounter different challenges in the quest to socially, economically and legally integrate. If the integration of refugees is to be viewed from the refugees' point of view, this study recommends that host countries such as Kenya, integrate refugees to the largest extent possible, as their fear about the refugees not returning to their countries of origin, at least according to this study is unfounded, most refugees intend to go back to their countries of origin, provided peace prevails. This would also feed into political processes such as the integration of communities in the East African Communities as the movements of population in and out countries would balance each other. The study further recommends economic integration to be legalised in a manner ensuring that they benefit the host community economies, through remittance of taxes and any other levies applied to nationals.