Human movement, whether enforced or voluntary, was the trending subject this past week, locally and internationally. First of all, Kicukiro District welcomed into its fold a new batch of citizens. Close to half a dozen foreigners were sworn in as new Rwandan citizens through the country’s flexible immigration policies. Rwandan citizenship comes in many forms; by origin, birth, marriage or naturalisation. As long as one fills all the requirements, there is no red tape. On the international scene, of course Trump’s immigration policies that were quashed by two courts scooped the media’s undivided attention. He has vowed to appeal to keep out citizens of some targeted countries and put a freeze on Syrian refugees, a move that has received a lot of backlash from many, even the Pope weighed in. Then closer to home, the courts again showed their mettle. The Kenya High Court repealed a government order to close down Dadaab refugee camp for security reasons. It is the largest in the world and most of its residents are Somalis, some who have made it their home for the largest quarter century. In fact some of the refugees were facing double perils; not only were they facing the possibility of being kicked out of Kenya, they were also on standby to be relocated to the US that had offered them asylum. Now Somalia was on Trump’s blacklist. This is a lesson that blind fear should not be the determinant factor in dealing with human disaster; in determining the fate of refugees. If the world cannot deal with the source and cause of their plight, the little it can do is welcome them with open arms. That is called humanity.
