President William Ruto extended a warm welcome to judges and delegates to the 14th World Conference of the International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges in Nairobi.

He applauded the association led by Justice Isaac Lenaola for selecting Nairobi as the venue, saying the city “reflects the strength and diversity and generosity of our nation.”

In his speech at the meeting, President Ruto warned that the world is currently experiencing a displacement crisis of unprecedented magnitude, and that over 120 million people have been displaced by conflict, persecution, or economic hardship, and natural disasters.

He said these figures are” a reminder of the urgency and significance of this year’s theme: Protecting the Integrity of Refugee and Migration Systems.”

Ruto Opens Global Refugee Judges Conference

The President also emphasized that refugees and migrants deserve dignity and justice and that they are people whose lives “have been disrupted by circumstances beyond their control ” yet remain resilient and hopeful.

Drawing attention to the fact that Kenya has long been a refuge for the displaced, President Ruto said that the nation now hosts almost half a million refugees and other asylum seekers.

“This reflects not only our generosity but our unwavering belief in the principles of humanity and solidarity,” he said.

He also reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to international refugee law, pointing to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, 1967 Protocol, and 1969 OAU Refugee Convention.

The President celebrated the progressive Refugees Act of 2021 of Kenya that ensures the right of a refugee to work, access services, and freedom of movement, and safeguards against refoulement.

He said that Kenya believes refugees “should not live indefinitely in the camps, but as active members in their host societies.”

He gave the example of the newly initiated Shirika Plan as a radical move to self-reliance among refugees.” Shirika” means cooperation.

He described the initiative as a shift “from encampment to empowerment,” aligning with the Global Compact on Refugees and the Africa Union’s vision of African solutions to African problems.

Calls for Shared Responsibility

Coming to the regional peace, the President noted that Kenya still leads the cause of diplomacy in South Sudan, Somalia, the Horn of Africa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He praised the Nairobi Declaration on Durable Solutions to Somali Refugees of 2017 in that it encouraged collective responsibility through voluntary repatriation, integration, and resettlement.

President Ruto emphasized the importance of the judicial system in protecting the rule of law in protecting of refugees.

“Often a single ruling determines whether a refugee is granted safety or returned to danger,” he noted.

He called on judges to ensure fairness, international obligations, and a contribution to uniform world jurisprudence.

He said,”Justice must not be dependent on geography or chance.”

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Ruto Urges Judicial Independence and Fairness in Asylum Decisions

He confirmed that Judicial independence is the “bedrock” of plausible refugee frameworks and demanded that asylum seekers should be allowed access to a timely hearing, law representation, and the prerogative of appeal.

Fair procedures, he remarked, “build public trust” and ensure both protection for genuine refugees and dignity for those without valid claims.

The President admitted difficulties in terms of evidence and credibility, stating that trauma and fear, insufficiency of documentation, are usually the obstacles to presenting their cases by refugees.

He made a proposal of trauma-informed interviewing and improved country-of-origin information to aid judicial precision.

Ruto also brought out the issue of displacement as a result of climate change, whereby by the year 2050, over 200 million people can be displaced.

As Kenya, he said, is already experiencing cross-border movement due to hunger and environmental collapse.

He encouraged the development of the law to ensure that victims of climate shocks are safeguarded even when they do not fit the conventional definition of refugees.

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He warned against abusing asylum systems and politically or migration-wise manipulating them, and demanded strict but just verification mechanisms.

He also criticized human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and he called for severe enforcement, which continues to consider victims as individuals with potential protection claims.

On technology, President Ruto also recognized the importance of artificial intelligence in simplifying asylum systems but cautioned on its risks.

“Technology must remain a servant of justice, not its master,” he said, calling for accountability, transparency, and human oversight.

Concluding his speech, the President emphasized that the integrity of the refugee and migration systems is critical to the safety of vulnerable people and ensuring public trust.

“Without it, we risk the breakdown of asylum systems and lose our humanity,” he said.

He urged the international community to support the host nations, such as Kenya, with financial aid, resettlement opportunities, and technical cooperation, adding, ” Solidarity is not charity, it is justice.”

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Message from the president during the official opening of 14th World Conference of Refugees and Migration Judges