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Canada Opens New Immigration Route for Skilled Refugees Through Job-Based Programme
Nairobi, 14 March 2026
Canada has launched the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, allowing skilled refugees in Kenya to immigrate through economic programmes rather than traditional humanitarian channels. This groundbreaking initiative connects qualified refugees aged 21-55 with Canadian employers facing labour shortages, offering a practical solution to both refugee resettlement and economic needs. The programme requires applicants to be recognised refugees with secondary education and one year of paid work experience in their field, representing a significant shift towards skills-based refugee integration in Canadian immigration policy.
University of Rwanda Opens Full Scholarships for African Refugees and Displaced Students
Kigali, 14 March 2026
The University of Rwanda, partnering with the Mastercard Foundation, has launched comprehensive undergraduate scholarships specifically targeting African students facing educational barriers, including refugees and displaced persons. Applications close on 22nd August 2025 for the 2025/2026 academic year. This initiative forms part of the ambitious Young Africa Works Strategy, which aims to provide 30 million young Africans—particularly women, refugees, and persons with disabilities—access to dignified education and employment opportunities by 2030.
UN Launches New Programme to Help Displaced Students Access Master's Degrees
Nairobi, 14 March 2026
The UN Refugee Agency has created Graduate Horizons, a groundbreaking support programme helping refugees and displaced individuals apply for master’s degrees in 2026-2027. Run through Oxford’s Refugee-Led Research Hub, this initiative specifically targets refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, and stateless individuals who face significant barriers accessing higher education. Applications close on 24 August 2025 at 5pm BST, offering displaced students in camps like Kakuma and Kalobeyei unprecedented opportunities to transform their futures through advanced education.
Canadian Universities Open Full Scholarship Applications for Kenyan Refugee Students
Nairobi, 13 March 2026
Refugee students in Kenya have just days left to apply for life-changing scholarships to Canadian universities through the World University Service programme. Applications close on 13 March 2026 for the 2027-2028 academic year, offering full funding including tuition, accommodation, and living expenses. The programme specifically targets youth aged 18-25 from Kakuma and Kalobeyei camps who face barriers to higher education.
Kenya Opens New Routes for Refugees Beyond Traditional Resettlement
Nairobi, 12 March 2026
UNHCR Kenya has announced alternative pathways for refugees to reach third countries through education scholarships, family reunification, and labour mobility schemes. These complementary routes offer hope for thousands in Kakuma and Kalobeyei camps who don’t qualify for conventional resettlement but possess valuable skills or family connections abroad.
Kenya Launches Targeted Support Programme for Vulnerable Refugee Communities
Nairobi, 12 March 2026
UNHCR Kenya has expanded specialised assistance for refugees facing additional vulnerabilities, including disabled individuals, elderly persons, and LGBTI community members. The programme operates through strategic partnerships with local organisations, offering psychosocial support, financial assistance, and protective services. Refugees can access help via the dedicated helpline *1517, which connects them to tailored support beyond standard humanitarian aid. This initiative addresses the heightened risks these groups face, including increased susceptibility to abuse and exploitation due to difficult living conditions that limit their access to essential services.
Turkana County Opens First Optical Workshop to Tackle Region's Eye Care Crisis
Lodwar, 11 March 2026
A groundbreaking £9 million optical facility launched at Lodwar Hospital addresses Turkana’s alarming blindness rates, which stand at 6.2% - double Kenya’s national average. The workshop, supported by Fred Hollows Foundation, serves Kenya’s second-largest county and its 20,000 residents living with varying degrees of blindness, including refugees in Kakuma camps who previously lacked access to specialized eye care services.
UAE Leads Gulf States in Islamic Charity Support for Displaced Communities
Kalobeyei, 11 March 2026
The United Arab Emirates ranked among the top contributors to UNHCR’s Islamic philanthropy programmes in 2025, helping raise $39.47 million that supported over one million displaced people across 25 countries. Sixty percent of these zakat and sadaqah funds originated from the Middle East and North Africa region, with UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar leading donations. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives alone assisted 70,000 forcibly displaced people globally, while the ‘Home for Home’ initiative provided durable housing for over 3,300 refugees in northern Kenya. Since 2017, UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund has supported 9.9 million displaced people worldwide, demonstrating how Islamic charitable giving provides crucial humanitarian assistance where traditional funding falls short.
Dadaab Refugee Students Leave Camps for First Time to Attend Kenyan Secondary Schools
Dadaab, 11 March 2026
245 refugee students from Kenya’s Dadaab camps are departing for secondary schools nationwide through the 2026 Elimu Scholarship Programme. For 18-year-old Bisharo Mohamed and many others, this marks their first journey beyond the camps they’ve called home their entire lives. The initiative emphasises girls’ education with 130 female recipients.
Kenya's Auditor General Demands Government Seize Control of Billion-Shilling eCitizen Platform
Nairobi, 10 March 2026
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has called for sweeping reforms requiring Webmasters Kenya Ltd to unconditionally transfer the eCitizen platform to government control. The digital gateway, processing over 1 billion shillings daily according to President Ruto, handles thousands of critical services from passport applications to business permits. Gathungu’s audit revealed serious governance gaps in the platform that expanded from just 10 services in 2014 to becoming Kenya’s primary digital government interface, serving both citizens and refugees for essential administrative processes.