Hundreds of Burundians Flee Kenya Before Monday Trader Crackdown
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Sep 7
Hundreds of Burundians Flee Kenya Before Monday Trader Crackdown
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Sep 7
Summary
Hundreds of Burundians in Kenya are scrambling for emergency travel papers and bus tickets before Monday's deadline for unregistered foreign traders to stop operating.
Long queues formed outside Burundi's embassy in Nairobi after it offered free documents, while some migrants carrying mattresses and suitcases said they could not afford to leave and asked Kenya to extend the deadline.
Kenya says the move targets misuse of tourist or investor visas by foreigners running small businesses without permits, and insists documented traders with valid work permits and licences can stay.
Burundi's foreign minister warned Kenya was responsible for Burundians' safety and raised the issue with East African Community representatives, as critics say Ruto's order risks fueling xenophobia across the region.