The Burundian government has expressed disappointment over the slow pace of repatriation for more than 155,000 Burundian refugees still residing in Tanzania’s Nduta and Nyarugusu camps. During a meeting on Thursday, Burundi’s Minister of Interior, Martin Niteretse, emphasized that peace and security have been fully restored in Burundi, making it safe for refugees to return and contribute to national development.
“Our Tanzanian neighbors have shown legendary hospitality to refugees, for which we are deeply grateful,” Niteretse stated. “However, it is imperative that our brothers and sisters return to Burundi now that stability has been achieved. This year, only 13,495 refugees were repatriated out of the planned 36,000, falling significantly short of expectations.” He reiterated the commitment of both governments to facilitating voluntary repatriation in cooperation with UNHCR.
Maduhu Kazi, Permanent Secretary at Tanzania’s Ministry of Home Affairs, highlighted the strong ties between the two nations. ‘Burundian refugees are our brothers and sisters, but they should not take advantage of this cooperation to remain indefinitely under refugee status,’ Kazi said, as quoted by Burundi’s public broadcaster RTNB. He assured that Tanzania would continue its collaboration with Burundi and UNHCR to ensure a smooth and dignified return process.
Despite these commitments, Tanzanian authorities have faced criticism from UN human rights experts in the past for alleged violations of refugee rights. Reports of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and forced returns have raised concerns among international observers. Refugees and asylum seekers reportedly live in fear, with claims of abductions by Tanzanian security forces in cooperation with Burundian intelligence services
“In addition to the strict encampment policy imposed on them by the Government of Tanzania, Burundian refugees and asylum-seekers now live in fear of being abducted in the middle of the night by Tanzanian security forces and taken to an unknown location or being forcefully returned to Burundi,” UN experts said in a statement.
To address these concerns, Tanzania, with UNHCR support, plans to conduct comprehensive assessments in 2025 to evaluate challenges faced by Burundian refugees and explore durable solutions.
“In 2025, the Government of Tanzania, with support from UNHCR, will conduct comprehensive protection and solution-based assessments with all Burundian refugees in Tanzania to understand their challenges. This initiative aims to identify and implement durable solutions such as voluntary repatriation, resettlement, and local integration,” said Daniel Baran Sillo, Tanzanian Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, according to a UNHCR statement issued earlier on Friday.
Since the voluntary repatriation exercise began in September 2017, more than 178,000 Burundian refugees have returned to Burundi from Tanzania, according to UNHCR. However, as of the end of November 2024, approximately 144,500 Burundian refugees remain in Tanzania’s Nduta and Nyarugusu camps
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