The Kenyan government has confirmed that four Turkey nationals who were seeking asylum in Kenya and reported abducted last week have been repatriated to their home country.
In a statement on Monday, October 21, 2024, Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei said the four were repatriated to their home country on Friday, October 18, 2024, at the request of the government of Türkey.
“Kenya confirms that four Nationals of the Republic of Türkiye were repatriated to their home country on Friday, 18 October 2024, at the request of the government of Türkiye. Kenya acceded to this request on the strength of the robust historical and strategic relations anchored on bilateral instruments between our respective countries. The four have been residing in Kenya as refugees,” Sing’oei stated.
According to Sing’oei, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs has received assurances from the Turkish authorities that the four will be treated with dignity in keeping with national and international law.
“Kenya is committed to the privacy and confidentiality of the repatriated individuals and will refrain from responding to media inquiries on the subject until the ongoing inter-agency review of the case is complete,” he stated.
“Kenya assures the international community of its unswerving commitment to the protection and promotion of refugee rights as prescribed under national and international law. As such, the rights, welfare and well-being of the more than 780,000 refugees residing in the country will remain the government’s singular priority.”
Turkey nationals abducted in Kenya
On Saturday, October 19, 2024, Amnesty International Amnesty International Kenya Section Director Irungu Houghton announced that seven Turkish nationals had been abducted by unknown persons.
The seven Turkey nationals, Mustafa Genç, his son Abdullah Genç, Hüseyin Yeşilsu, Necdet Seyitoğlu, Öztürk Uzun, Alparslan Taşçı, and his wife Saadet Taşçı were kidnapped by unknown individuals on Friday, October 18, 2024.
“While Abdullah Genç, Necdet Seyitoğlu, and Saadet Taşçı have been reportedly released, Öztürk Uzun, Alparslan Taşçı, and Hüseyin Yeşilsu remain missing and are at grave risk of refoulement – a serious violation of international law,” Houghton stated.
“This incident constitutes a breach of both Kenya and international refugee law. These individuals are refugees who have sought the protection of the Kenyan government. Their abductions underscore the growing concerns about the safety of all refugees and asylum seekers in Kenya.”
Following their repatriation, Houghton said the four face considerable risk of serious human rights violations.
“Abduction and forced return to countries they fled directly violates the principle of non-refoulement enshrined in Kenyan law, the 1951 Refugee Convention and the African Union Convention Governing Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa,” he added.
“We remind the Interior and Foreign Affairs Ministries, Judiciary of Kenya, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Independent Policing Oversight Authority and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights that transnational repression is an international crime. We demand their swift and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding this abduction and that those responsible be held accountable”.
Amnesty International also expressed concerns that the abduction happened in the month that Kenya successfully applied to become a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
“The Kenyan government is required to ensure that all asylum seekers and refugees are protected from criminal abduction and unlawful return to countries where their lives and freedoms are in danger. It must uphold its legal obligations under the Kenyan Constitution, refugee laws, and international human rights treaties,” Houghton said.
The four are associated with the Hizmet Movement, a faith-inspired civil society movement in Turkey.