Ottawa man fears for family's safety if refugee camp closed

An Ottawa man who spent nearly two decadesin the world's largest refugee camp and whose family still lives there says he fears for their safety if the settlement is shut down.

Abdi Anshurspent nearly 20 years in the Dadaabsettlement in Kenya, but theeast African country has announced it intends on closingthe camp oversecurity fears.

According to theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,which manages the camp,there are currentlyover 300,000 Somali refugees who call Dadaabhome.

Although he's now a Canadian, Anshur said he still feels very connected to the place.

"I grew up in that refugee camp," said Anshur, who left Dadaab in 2011.

Anshur graduated from theUniversity of Ottawa's Telfer School of Managementin 2015with a degree in finance. He credits his timeat the refugee camp with helping him get the education necessary to secureaWorld University Service of Canada scholarship.

"I went to elementary school in that same refugee camp. Did myhighschooland did well in my final year."

Mother, brothers still in camp

Anshur'smother and brothers still reside at Dadaab along withmembers of his extended family.Anshur said heworries that if therefugee camp closes, Somalis living there will have nowhere else to go except back home, which willonlyput them at risk.

"There is no security in Somalia," saidAnshur.

Kenyan officials want the camp closed over concerns that theal-Qaeda-linkedterrorist groupal-Shabaabisoperating there, but Anshursays the group's memberare spread across the entire region.

The al-Shabaab militants go everywhere. They operate everywhere. They are not based in the Dadaab refugee camp."

TheUN Refugee Agency's representative in Canada said his organization is working to help keep thecamp open.

"Certainly this is something of incredible importance to us. We are working to find a solution for the situation," said Michael Casasola.

"Our challenge is tocontinue to talk to the Kenyan governmentto see if we can find a solution in terms of all Somali refugees that are in the camp and effectively safe, and that we will find a way through this."