Kenya offers amnesty for migrants after Burundians rush to leave

Government spokesman urges undocumented nationals from other East African countries to formally register at embassies.

Al Jazeera2026-09-08 09:53查看原文 ↗

Government spokesman urges undocumented nationals from other East African countries to formally register at embassies.

Burundian nationals gather outside their embassy to apply for border passes following a Kenyan government directive to shut down undocumented small-scale traders, in Nairobi on September 7, 2026 [Simon Maina/AFP]

Kenya has offered a temporary amnesty to undocumented East African migrants after hundreds of Burundians rushed to their country’s embassy in Nairobi seeking travel documents to return home.

Kenyan President William Ruto’s government last week ordered authorities to close small businesses run by foreigners, starting on Monday.

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The order, which Kenya’s Ministry of Trade said applied to foreigners operating without work permits, led to chaos outside Burundi’s embassy on Monday, with some Burundians saying they had been threatened by neighbours since Ruto’s remarks.

Kenya has long drawn migrants from the East African Community, an intergovernmental organisation that allows freedom of movement for citizens of its eight member states, including Burundi.

About 16,000 Burundian migrants and refugees live in the country, according to the United Nations, many of them operating small street businesses.

On Monday, despite no signs of a crackdown, crowds queued outside Burundi’s embassy from the morning to await papers that would allow them to travel home.

Some reported harassment and violence following Ruto’s directive. Jean-Baptiste Ndayizeye, a pastor, told the AFP news agency that his neighbours had been attacked and robbed. “They’ve expelled us like animals,” he said.

Later on Monday, a spokesman for Ruto’s administration urged undocumented nationals from other East African countries, and specifically from Burundi, to formally register at their embassies.

“For the duration of this designated registration period, all individuals undergoing registration will be presumed legally present in the Republic of Kenya,” their statement said.

“This window is designed to bring our brothers and sisters out of the shadows, ensuring they can access health, banking, and legal protections without fear.”

The government also issued a directive to security agencies and local authorities that foreign nationals were not to be “subjected to arbitrary harassment or discrimination”.

“Any elements seeking to exploit recent directives to fuel xenophobic sentiment or mistreat our neighbours will face the full force of the law,” it read.

Following the reports of harassment, Kenya’s junior foreign minister Korir Sing’Oei visited the embassy, apologised to Burundians and assured them police would protect areas where violence had been reported.

“For so many years, you have lived in Kenya together with the Kenyan nationals. You have stayed in peace as neighbours,” he said, promising to help Burundians obtain papers or return home voluntarily.

Critics of President Ruto have accused him of blaming foreigners for ⁠Kenya’s economic difficulties before an election next year.

政府发言人敦促来自其他东非国家的无证国民到大使馆正式登记。

2026年9月7日，在肯尼亚政府下令取缔无证小规模商贩后，布隆迪国民聚集在内罗毕大使馆外申请边境通行证。[西蒙·迈纳/法新社]

数百名布隆迪人涌向其驻内罗毕大使馆，寻求返回家园的旅行证件。此后，肯尼亚向无证东非移民提供了临时特赦。

肯尼亚总统威廉·鲁托的政府上周下令当局从下周一开始关闭外国人经营的小企业。

问题 1/2：肯尼亚为何严厉打击外国贸易商和小零售商？

肯尼亚航空罢工结束，但争端远未解决（共2条，此为第2条）。

肯尼亚贸易部表示，该命令适用于没有工作许可的外国人。周一，该命令导致布隆迪大使馆外一片混乱，一些布隆迪人表示，自鲁托发表上述言论以来，他们一直受到邻国的威胁。

长期以来，肯尼亚一直吸引着来自东非共同体的移民。东非共同体是一个政府间组织，允许其八个成员国（包括布隆迪）的公民自由流动。

据联合国统计，约有 16,000 名布隆迪移民和难民生活在该国，其中许多人经营着街头小生意。

周一，尽管没有出现镇压的迹象，但从早上开始，大批民众就在布隆迪大使馆外排队，等待领取可以让他们回家的文件。

一些人报告称，在鲁托下达指令后，他们遭到骚扰和暴力对待。牧师让-巴蒂斯特·恩达伊泽耶告诉法新社，他的邻居遭到袭击和抢劫。“他们像赶牲畜一样把我们赶走，”他说。