As of the top of November 2025, there have been over 140,000 Burundian refugees in neighbouring Tanzania, who’ve fled over years of civil unrest in Burundi.
Whereas 1000’s proceed to be “voluntarily repatriated”, an official with the UN refugee company (UNHCR) says 1000’s should still want worldwide safety in Tanzania.
As much as 17,000 say they’re unable to return over fears for his or her security or hazard of political persecution. They embody members of the political opposition and former army personnel.
“There are growing issues from refugees on pressured returns and coercive measures,” stated UNHCR’s Bahia Egeh, who is predicated in Tanzania. “We additionally proceed to advocate towards any coercive measures for the refugees within the camps.”
Including to those issues are experiences that in the course of the repatriation course of in Tanzania, refugee shelters are being “demolished” and a few Burundi refugees are being topic to “mistreatment”, UNHCR revealed on Tuesday.
UNHCR’s official place on pressured repatriations, generally known as refoulement, is obvious and grounded in worldwide refugee regulation: refugees and asylum-seekers should not be returned to a spot the place their lives or freedom can be in danger.
Historical past of displacement
Many refugees in Tanzania have been refugees earlier than, fleeing from the Burundian civil conflict within the Nineties and early 2000s, returning to Burundi, after which fleeing once more in 2015 throughout a interval of political unrest.
There are at the moment two refugee camps within the North-Western Kigoma area of the East African nation, Nduta and Nyarugusu, which is the bigger of the 2.
Many refugees are in search of to relocate to Nyarugusu after it was introduced the Nduta camp is because of shut in March.
Ms. Egeh stated that the circumstances in these camps are “difficult for the refugees” amid a discount in UNHCR funding that has impacted providers.
UNHCR assisted voluntary returns of round 390,000 refugees from Tanzania between 2002 to 2009, whereas some 162,000 Burundian nationals have been granted Tanzanian citizenship in 2014.
In 2015, there was a big enhance in folks fleeing from Burundi into Tanzania.
What is going on now?
In 2017, it was deemed protected for Burundian refugees to return residence.
UNHCR made a tripartite settlement with the Burundi and Tanzania governments to voluntarily repatriate. Progress was initially good, nevertheless the COVID pandemic led to a lower in repatriations for just a few years.
In current months, repatriation efforts have been ramped up after a goal of 3,000 refugees per week was agreed in late 2025 as half of an up to date tripartite settlement.
On this manner, UNHCR shifted from facilitating to selling and being extra vocal with their help for voluntary returns to Burundi.
Uptick in 2026
Within the first two months of 2026, greater than 28,000 Burundian refugees have returned from Tanzania.
With 8,000 returning previously week – effectively exceedingly the weekly goal – the entire quantity of repatriations for the reason that 2017 settlement is now over 180,000 refugees.
Nonetheless, in an announcement on Tuesday, UNHCR expressed concern that in these accelerated efforts “refugee shelters have been demolished, forcing folks to take short-term refuge in already overcrowded departure centres and additional straining circumstances on the bottom. Some refugees have additionally reportedly been subjected to mistreatment.”
A UNHCR employees member talks to a Burundian refugee in Nyarugusu Camp, Tanzania.
Ms. Egeh stated “we proceed to advocate with the Authorities to stick to the tripartite settlement. This was agreed by all three events that it must be in security and dignity and respect the safety rules.”
An vital half of the tripartite settlement is that folks have to be handled with respect – returns have to be primarily based on free and knowledgeable selection quite than coercion.
To help in danger refugees, Ms Egeth stated that UNHCR have a devoted safety assist desk the place they’ll assess the willingness of refugees to return. This can be certain that “individuals who nonetheless want worldwide safety in Tanzania are usually not half of the convoy that is going.”
Funding cuts, lowered providers
“Once I arrived two years in the past, there have been 10 well being services. However during the last couple of years, resulting from funding, because of the lower in sources coming in, at the moment there are literally two services out of the ten which might be open in Nyarugusu camp.”
In line with the assertion from UNHCR “Capability can also be severely overstretched in Burundi’s reception and transit centres. Elevated return pressures, lowered sources and restricted staffing are straining operations on either side of the border.”
Ms Egeth emphasised that for the refugees, some of whom have been displaced for the reason that Nineties, the simplest manner of help is to fund “the resettlement efforts” in Burundi. This can assist deliver a sustainable return and finish the cycle of motion, so folks can “begin rebuilding their lives” after years of insecurity and uncertainty.
UNHCR stays dedicated to defending refugees who don’t wish to go residence and supporting refugees that do.
“We are going to proceed to help the governments of Burundi and Tanzania to uphold their commitments in keeping with the Tripartite preparations round voluntary repatriation, and significantly in guaranteeing that refugees and their wants stay entrance and centre at each step of the repatriation course of.”
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