In a voluntary repatriation process organized by UNHCR in partnership with Burundi and Tanzania, more than 32 thousand Burundians from Tanzanian refugee camps have already come back to the country since April 2018. This was said in a press conference given by Gogo Hukportie, UNHCR representative in Burundi this Tuesday June 19, 2018.
Gogo Hukportie: “32,345 Burundians have returned from Tanzanian refugee camps since April”.
Hukportie says UNCHR facilitates the repatriation process for Burundian refugees who wish to return to Burundi from Tanzania. “After the tripartite meeting between the UNHCR, the governments of Burundi and Tanzania, it has been decided to proceed with the voluntary repatriation of Burundians who sought refuge in Tanzania.”
The UNHCR representative in Burundi says the government of Burundi has received 32,345 returnees from Tanzanian refugee camps since April and over 240.000 are yet to come. “The commission of repatriation has doubled the number of returnees per week. Instead of 500 people per convoy, it is now 1000 and two convoys arrive per week,” she says.
As for refugees in other countries of the region, Gogo Hukportie says refugees have not yet expressed their will to return and no tripartite meeting with the hosting countries has been held so far. “There are around 340,000 Burundian refugees in the East African region. Apart from those from Tanzania, no other refugees have expressed their will to return to Burundi”.
While every June 20, the world commemorates the Refugee Day, the UN calls on people to support families forced to flee their countries. The theme for this year is “Solidarity with Refugees”.
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