Refugee Day: From solidarity to shared prosperity

Today, on  World Refugee Day held annually on June 20th, we commemorate the strength, courage and resilience of millions of refugees and hosting communities in equal measure. World Refugee Day is our primary opportunity to amplify and engage the public with UNHCR's global public advocacy campaign, #WithRefugees.

The campaign expresses solidarity with people forced to flee. In Kenya, World Refugee Day is marked in three main locations namely, Dadaab refugee camp, Kakuma refugee camp and Nairobi.

This year’s global message Until Everyone Is Safe; and Kenya’s national theme, Solidarity with Refugees, urge us to look beyond sympathy and ask ourselves an important question: are we facilitating necessary conditions for refugees and host communities to thrive together?

As of May 31, 2026, according to UNHCR, Kenya hosts approximately 853,074 refugees and asylum-seekers, making it one of Africa’s largest refugee-hosting countries. Dadaab alone hosts more than 432,380 refugees and asylum-seekers, while Kakuma and Kalobeyei is home to 306,414 more. Another 114,280 refugees are living in urban areas.

As refugee related humanitarian needs continue to rise, traditional aid systems are increasingly strained and financially unsustainable. Recent aid cuts and food ration reductions in the refugee camps have further exposed the vulnerability of systems heavily dependent on external humanitarian financing.

The Kenyan government's led Shirika Plan presents a strong sustainable vision for refugee management for years to come. Through the integration of refugee-hosting areas into national and county development priorities, the Shirika plan aims to transition the conversation from dependence to refugee and host community inclusion and self-reliance.

It recognises that improving public services, expanding economic opportunities, and investing in local infrastructure benefits both refugees and host communities. The County Integrated Development plans are equally important in furthering durable solutions.

This is not just a humanitarian need; it is an economic opportunity towards self-reliance. When refugees have access to education, documentation, financial services, and decent work, they contribute through entrepreneurship, labour, innovation, and local spending. Evidence from Nairobi shows that targeted support for refugee and host community entrepreneurs can increase business ownership, incomes, and household resilience, leading to shared benefits across communities.

Moreover, there is need to consider extending this ambition to cover urban refugees. Thousands living in Nairobi and other urban centres are already running businesses, with some paying taxes and rent, employing staff, and investing in their children’s future. Yet many still face barriers in accessing documentation, employment, and essential services. Since Kenya is committed to promoting self-reliance, urban refugees ought to be considered for inclusion in policies and programs that support economic participation and social inclusion.

Similarly, Dadaab, Kakuma and Kalobeyei should be seen not just as humanitarian spaces, but also as centers of potential economic growth. Investments in skills development, market systems, digital innovation, financial inclusion, and resilient infrastructure can turn  refugee-hosting counties into engines of local economic growth. When host communities and refugees benefit together, social cohesion strengthens, and reliance on aid decreases.

Achieving this vision will require ongoing commitment. Policy frameworks alone do not create jobs or enhance public services. Success relies on coordinated action between national and county governments, donors, development partners, the private sector, and communities. It also requires making sure that host communities and local population see real benefits from investments in refugee inclusion.

At the Danish Refugee Council, we witness daily the determination of refugees and host communities working together to build businesses, gain new skills, and create better futures for their families. Their resilience shows us that refugees are not defined by their displacement but by their aspirations and potential.

This World Refugee Day, let’s turn solidarity into action. Let’s support policies that allow refugees not just to survive but to learn, work, innovate, and contribute. And let’s keep investing in frameworks like the Shirika Plan that view inclusion as a pathway to shared prosperity.

When refugees are empowered to rebuild their lives, host communities thrive, local economies strengthen, and Kenya moves closer to a future where safety, opportunity, and dignity are realities for everyone.

-The writer is Country Director of Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Kenya. See also: