What You Need to Know About Refugee Identity Cards in Kenya

The Department of Refugee Services (DRS) provides a Refugee Identity Card to those officially recognized as refugees in Kenya. This card serves as an important form of identification and documentation for refugees.

These cards help protect refugees from refoulement (forced return), arbitrary arrest, and detention. They also facilitate access to basic assistance and protection.

Refugee Identity Cards are granted by the Department of Refugee Services (DRS) only to a person who has been officially recognized as refugee in Kenya.

They can use them to access government services. These cards serve as proof of identity in banks, with authorities, including police, insurance, schools, and colleges, and for other administrative purposes.

A refugee identity card issued in Kenya contains essential information such as the refugee's full name, photograph, and details regarding their camp of residence and country of origin.

This card is recognized with a status similar to that of the Foreign National Registration Certificate, commonly referred to as the Alien Card.

To be eligible for a refugee identity card, applicants must first register with the Department for Refugee Services (DRS) or relevant UNHCR offices in Kenya.

This process typically involves a Refugee Status Determination (RSD) interview where applicants provide evidence of their situation and reasons for seeking asylum in Kenya.