Tanzania gives Burundian refugees more time to return home

PRESS RELEASE
20th July 2009

The Government of Burundi has welcomed a decision by the Tanzanian government to give more time for the voluntary repatriation of some more than 35,000 Burundian camp-based refugees.

The Mtabila refugee camp in Kasulu district in the north-western Tanzania, is the last remaining camp hosting Burundian refugees in the country, was scheduled for closure 30 June 2009, when all its residents were expected to voluntarily repatriation.

However, on June 20 - World Refugee Day - the Tanzanian Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Lawrence MASHA, announced that more time will be given to the Burundians, who have been refugees in the country since 1990s, to go back to Burundi.

The refugees will now have the chance to plan their return home during the traditional high season for repatriation which runs to the end of September 2009.

The Minister also reiterated that no refugee will be forcibly returned and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to uphold international laws and standards relating to the protection of refugees.

Since the beginning of the repatriation process in 2002 up to 31st may 2009, more than 500,000 Burundian refugees from the neighbouring countries of Tanzania, DRC and Rwanda have been repatriated voluntarily.

In addition, there are the “1972” Burundian refugees in western Tanzania. In a landmark decision in 2008, the Tanzanian government gave a choice to these refugees to return home or apply for Tanzanian citizenship.

Some 165,000 of them decided to stay and applied for Tanzanian citizenship, while other 55,000 opted to return to Burundi.
40,000 among them have returned home and the remaining 15,000 are registered to repatriate to their homeland before the end of this year.

On the other hand, the displaced people living in Bujumbura city are going back to their original villages from Jun 2009.

A number of 250 people composed by 80 families have been returned to Kirundo and Kayanza provinces.
141 people from 59 families were coming from Kirundo, while 109 from 21 families were coming from Kayanza.

Now, 222 people gathered 42 families will go back to Bubanza within this week. The process will continue with Ngozi, Gitega, Cibitoke, Muramvya, Mwaro, Karuzi and all over the province in the country.