Inter-linkages of forced migration, human rights and poverty: application of socio-legal models

George Odipo, University of Nairobi
John Oucho, University of Nairobi

Abstract: This paper provides evidence of migration-vulnerability-poverty linkages. The paper begins by (i)Section one highlighting the background, data and methodology (ii) Section two discusses Refugees-Human Rights-Poverty Inter-Linkages by analysing appropriate: theoretical and conceptual frameworks; conceptualisation of forced migration, and; forced migration models, namely: The Social Development Model and The Legal Institutional Model (iii) Section three analyses refugee situation in Kenya (iv) Section four discusses policy implications (v) Section five provides a conclusion and proposes recommendations on how to alleviate poverty among refugees. The paper has established that majority of refugees are from Kenya’s contiguous states of Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia; the majority hosted in North Eastern and Rift Valley provinces in Kenya. It further notes that age, sex, educational attainment, marital status and economic status impact in heightening refugees’ vulnerability thereby increasing their risk to poverty in Kenya. It has also established that there is migration policy incoherence in Kenya that partially explains violation of refugees’ human rights, which contributes to poverty. The principal recommendation is for Kenya to ratify the international conventions and treaties on the rights of refugees and develop strategies, guidelines and policies that protect the rights of refugees to try and reduce poverty among refugees.