According to rights groups, Kenya, which was once thought of as a safe haven for refugees, is gradually turning into a hostile environment for some of those looking for safety from conflict and political persecution.
They are worried after four Turkish immigrants were kidnapped at gunpoint by masked men in Nairobi last month, the most recent in a string of such incidents in the East African nation.
The four were deported at the request of the Turkish government, which wanted them on treason charges, according to Kenyan officials. The UN recognized them as refugees.
The long-standing legal principle of “non-refoulement,” which forbids the forcible repatriation of individuals to nations where they might suffer persecution, is allegedly being abandoned by Kenya, according to critics.
Kenya’s reputation has suffered as a result, according to the local newspaper.
