Kakuma (Kenya) : nearly 200 Burundian refugees repatriated by plane

SOS Médias Burundi

Turkana, May 17, 2025 – Faced with growing precariousness in the camps, nearly 200 Burundian refugees living in Kakuma, in northwestern Kenya, have chosen to voluntarily return home after more than ten years of exile. They were transported by air on two UNHCR-chartered flights departing from Lodwar Airport.

Drastic reductions in food rations, persistent insecurity, and tensions with the local population : several Burundian refugees from the Kakuma camp in Kenya have preferred to return home despite the uncertainties, while the authorities in Gitega continue their repatriation campaign.

The convoys left the camp on Tuesday, May 13 and Wednesday, May 14. According to data collected on site, more than 50 households, or nearly 200 people, took part in this voluntary return operation coordinated by the UNHCR in collaboration with the Burundian and Kenyan governments.

“The ration has been cut by more than half. Security is poor, and the locals no longer consider us welcome,” explained one of the fathers we met at the airport, waiting to board. Several refugees stated that they were not returning by choice, but out of resignation.

“Don’t be surprised if tomorrow we find ourselves in another country seeking asylum again,” added another.

A return under pressure?

These returns come amid growing pressure on refugees in host countries. In Kakuma, where more than 200,000 refugees live—including approximately 25,000 Burundians—living conditions have deteriorated significantly in recent years, amid WFP budget cuts, intercommunity conflicts, and marginalization.

While some refugees insist they are responding to the Burundian government’s constant call for refugees to “return and contribute to the reconstruction of the country,” others are skeptical. “The causes that drove us to flee have not all been resolved. We are returning because of the suffering here, not because Burundi has changed,” laments a former teacher at the camp.

Massive exile continues

More than 257,000 Burundians still live in exile, mainly in Tanzania, Rwanda, the DRC, Uganda, and Kenya. While the rate of returns has slowed since 2022, operations continue on an ad hoc basis.

The UNHCR, for its part, maintains that all returns are voluntary, but refugee rights NGOs are calling for increased vigilance regarding the conditions under which these returns take place.