Burundi’s Home Affairs minister said on 9 February at the hearing with UNHCR representative in Burundi that figures released by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, about Burundians fleeing the country are untrue.
Pascal Barandagiye, Burundi Home Affairs’ minister, at the hearing with Abel Mbilinyi UNHCR representative.
UNHCR said that hundreds of people are fleeing the country every week. «The number of people fleeing Burundi increased since the beginning of 2017, adding to the pressure for lands in host countries such as Rwanda, Tanzania and DRC”, said UNHCR on 7 February 2017.
Since April 2015, over 386,000 Burundians have fled to neighbouring countries, according to UNHCR. UNHCR also said the figures will exceed 500,000 if the speed continues. It also calls on host government to urgently provide more lands to ensure shelter.
” Without allocation of new land to extend capacity in existing camps or build new ones, these countries will struggle to provide sufficient shelter and life-saving services in the camp sites”, said UNHCR.
“The media’s info saying that hundreds of Burundians are fleeing is not true. These figures are not recognised by UNHCR”, said Pascal Barandagiye, Burundi Home Affairs minister.
“Those who are said to flee the country are people suffering from hunger, who leave the country to search for food and then return back after a given moment”, said the Home Affairs minister.
Abel Mbilinyi ,UNHCR representative in Burundi also said that some people from Cibitoke western province and Makamba in the south are fleeing because of hunger due to climate change.
Barandagiye said that they are preparing places to receive returning Burundian refugees and that they are going to sensitise them to come back to the country. “For this reason, we are preparing a meeting which will be held in Tanzania, so as to study how to solve the problem of refugees”, said Barandagiye.
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