Tanzania pushes out Burundian refugees, UN concerned
Refugees from Burundi are being forcibly evicted from camps as Tanzania destroys their homes and churches, pushing them to return, often after years in exile.
Authorities in Tanzania have begun pushing out hundreds of refugees from neighbouring Burundi, prompting concern from the United Nations and humanitarian agencies.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), several Burundian refugees have been forced to leave camps in western Tanzania and cross back into Burundi.
The agency said the development raises serious concerns about the forced return of refugees, which could violate international protection standards.
Reports indicate that Tanzanian security forces and local authorities have been urging refugees to leave the country, with some individuals saying they were given little time to gather their belongings before being transported toward the border.
Many of the refugees had lived in Tanzania for years after fleeing political violence and instability in Burundi following the country’s 2015 political crisis. At the height of the displacement, hundreds of thousands of Burundians sought safety in neighbouring countries, including Tanzania.
The UN refugee agency said it is closely monitoring the situation and has called on authorities to ensure that any returns are voluntary, safe and carried out with dignity. UNHCR emphasized that refugees should not be forced to return to places where their lives or freedom could be at risk.
Tanzanian authorities, however, have previously encouraged Burundian refugees to return home, arguing that the security situation in Burundi has improved enough to allow for safe repatriation.
The latest development has raised fears among humanitarian groups that the rights and safety of displaced people could be compromised, as international organizations continue to urge Tanzania to respect refugee protection agreements.
UN voices ‘concern’
Several refugees told AFP they were shocked at the lack of intervention by UNHCR. In a statement to AFP, UNHCR said it “has observed and expressed serious concern over actions taken by Tanzanian authorities in the refugee camps that have put significant pressure on Burundian refugees to sign up for repatriation.”
Jackson, 41, who lived in Nyarugusu, said the Tanzanian authorities were using Congolese refugees from a neighbouring part of the camp to carry out the demolitions.
“The agent of the ministry of internal affairs who supervises the operation knocks on the doors and tells the owners to leave immediately with their belongings. If you hang around, the (Congolese) don’t hesitate to attack your house,” Jackson told AFP.
Burundi and Tanzania initially signed an agreement in December to facilitate the return of up to 3,000 people per week, UNHCR said, and some 28,000 have gone back so far this year.
Tanzanian officials did not respond to multiple attempts to reach them for comment.
A senior Burundian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the country was now a “haven of peace” and those speaking of forced repatriation were “liars”.
“The refugees are returning because there is peace,” the official said.
“The Tanzanians are only destroying the homes of those who have elected for repatriation.” Rights activists say Burundians who go home are often targeted as dissidents by the authoritarian government.
Jackson said the refugees were left with a choice between “seeing their children at the mercy of rain, sun and cold… or being registered on the list of voluntary repatriates.”
