Kenya has warned MPs from Somalia to stop using Nairobi as a safe haven from the chaos in their own country.
Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang told the BBC he was on the verge of telling the MPs to register as refugees if they wanted to stay in Kenya.
The BBC’s Will Ross, in Nairobi, says there are estimated to be 100 Somali MPs in Kenya at any one time.
Kenyan police arrested several Somali MPs in a round-up of people suspected of taking part in a riot last week.
Our correspondent says many Kenyans view their neighbouring country with increasing fatigue, concerned that the insecurity in Somalia could spread over their porous border.
‘In their trenches’
Relations between the two countries have been strained in recent days after a demonstration in Nairobi over Kenya’s detention of a controversial Muslim cleric turned violent.
Kenyan officials blamed extremists from Somalia for orchestrating the violence and arrested about 300 ethnic Somalis – charging 141 with immigration offences and releasing the rest.
Among those detained and later released were 12 Somali MPs and several government officials.
Somalia protested to Kenya over the arrests, but Mr Kajwang said his patience with the MPs was close to running out.
“The politicians causing trouble in their country and coming to hide here and reorganise how to re-launch their positions in their trenches – it is not helpful to them and not helpful to us,” he said.
“We think they must take the security of their country seriously and not endlessly look for Kenya as a safe haven after destroying their own institutions.”
“I think we are about to say that either you come in as refugees and you go the camps or you go back to your own country.”
The cowards should go back to their countries. they have destroyed their land and want to do the same in Kenya. A bunch of losers. I would personally suggest they taken to the refugee camps and be fed with buunsho. let them share life with the same people they have displaced. Thank you to the government of kenya for rounding them up.
i wonder if somalis are ever gonna learn a lesson? damiir xumaa oo dadnimo xumaa labaatan sano qaxootinimo iyo rafaad iyo dunnida wadamadii ugu liitay oo jeelasha naga buuxsaday, waxaase aan kufarxay tuugadii dadka iyo dalka soo baa’biyay soo ma’ahan waxa maanta qaxootiga iska sooqorra la leeyahay! wallee abaalkiina weeye…….. somaaliyey oo somaaliyey ilaah kabaqa oo isdaaya gacamaha isqabsada oo maatada xeryaha qaxootigu cudurrada iyo gumaysigu isku qabteen unaxariista…….ascw