How far is Europe from the turbulence in North Africa? 113 kilometers or 70 miles. The tiny Italian island of Lampedusa sits just off the Tunisian coasts. More than 27,000 people have fled from North Africa since January, with the majority heading to Lampedusa and the final destination of Europe. Since the first few thousands of immigrants started to arrive to the island, they quickly outnumbered the local population and, understandably, some tension arose.

The UK, Sweden, and the Netherlands in particular have been actively deporting Iraqi asylum seekers to Baghdad and other parts of the country, claiming it is now safe and secure.  In October the European Court of Human Rights in Stasbourg issued a temporary stay of deportations; however, a recent decision by the Court is being interpreted by many governments as a green light to resume forced repatriations. 

If Iraq is so safe, why are the majority of European embassies located in the walled and highly secure and self-contained international zone?  If security has improved so much, why can’t European officials travel outside of the international zone without armed escorts?  Presumably, if the country is deemed unsafe for Europeans, can it be much safer for those Iraqis who faced targeted persecution and extreme violence?  Probably not.

This article originally ran in The Huffington Post.

The Dadaab refugee camp in Northeastern Kenya is over 20 years old and has received successive waves of refugees, reflecting the political turmoil and violence against civilians that continues to engulf Somalia. I visited the camp this week and met with many Somalis who have fled civil war and sought refuge here. After talking with these people, it is clear to me that the United States and the international community must invest in the future of Somalia’s refugees if we want to build a peaceful Somalia.

We started our visit of the Hagadera Camp at Dadaab, in Northeast Kenya, at a meeting with a Field Officer from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The camp is home to 90,000 refugees. Ninety percent have fled the unrest in Somalia and the others are largely from Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda. UNHCR is responsible for coordinating a plethora of services at the camp including healthcare, education, water, protection, and the daily intake of new refugees.