Displacement and Securitization in the Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya

Mercy Khalayi Ndongoli & Joseph Karanja
Department of Diplomacy and Peace Studies
Kenyatta University
Email: kmercy28@gmail.com

Abstract: This study interrogates the nexus between terrorism threats and the securitization of refugee migration in Kenya’s Dadaab refugee camp. More specifically, it analyzes how security risks associated with terrorism, i.e., foreign fighter penetration, radicalization, and border permeability between Kenya and Somalia, influence state response and migration policy. Using a mixed qualitative design, the study collected information through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis to achieve a rich understanding of host community and refugee lives. The results show that securitization practices such as encampment, enhanced surveillance, and control of mobility, although intended to prevent terrorism, have unintended consequences: reinforcing socio-economic marginalization, limiting access to essential services, and straining Kenya-Somalia diplomatic relations. The research concludes that while securitization addresses immediate security requirements, it exacerbates exclusion and vulnerability that have the potential to enhance radicalization threats. It recommends balanced migration policies that converge humanitarian protection with security requirements through inclusive communal engagement and evidence-based counter-terrorism policies.