He could not say how much money they would need to fund the mass repatriation.

Kenya wants the U.N. to help it raise funds to pay for the mass repatriation.

Last week South Africa's Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi announced a mass repatriation of citizens of Lesotho, Zimbabwe and other neighbouring states.

The Solomon Islands government has sanctioned two commercial flights that will enable a mass repatriation of citizens and some expatriates from neighbouring countries.

Prior to Thursday's mass repatriation, the agency's Homeland Security Investigations division had returned more than 2,600 items to 24 countries.