In correspondence dated 13 July 2003, a legal officer from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ottawa provided the Research Directorate with the following additional information on certificates issued to refugees by the UNHCR office in Nairobi. The legal officer obtained this information by consulting her colleagues in Nairobi.

Certificates issued by the UNHCR in Kenya confirm that a person is a refugee, and indicate the name of the camp to which he or she is to report. Certificates issued before 2003 had no expiry dates, but some specified that the person was to report to his or her designated camp before a certain date.

Certificates issued at the beginning of 2003 were valid for six months. The certificates currently issued by the UNHCR in Kenya are valid for a period of one year, unless the UNHCR has a specific reason to issue a certificate valid for less time. The UNHCR limits the period of validity of these certificates in order to keep its files as up to date as possible.

This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 13 July 2004. Correspondence sent by a legal officer at the UNHCR office in Ottawa, Canada.