Zambia : “disguised lockdown” in camps, refugees denounce drastic movement restrictions

SOS Médias Burundi

Meheba, April 15, 2026 – The Zambian Ministry of Home Affairs and Security is accused by refugees of drastically and controversially tightening movement restrictions in the country’s camps, a measure that is reigniting concerns in several locations, including Meheba, which also hosts Burundian nationals.

The Zambian Ministry of Home Affairs and Security recently restructured the system for issuing exit permits, known as “Gate Passes,” already scarce documents allowing refugees to temporarily leave the camps. These permits are now limited to a single, specific destination. This restriction breaks with the previous system, where beneficiaries could move freely within the Zambian territory, provided they did not leave the country.

The measure affects all camps in the country, including Meheba, Mayukwayukwa, and Mantapala.

Some refugees who spoke to SOS Médias Burundi complain that this reform directly infringes on their freedom of movement and significantly complicates their daily lives, particularly for students, small business owners, and workers who depend on these permits to survive.

According to a source close to the Meheba camp administration, this tightening of the rules follows observations that some permits had been “misused, sometimes in situations that made the camp administration uncomfortable.” Authorities describe the measure as aimed at “better oversight, the protection of refugees, and the preservation of peace and security.”

Another major change : applicants must now appear in person at the camp president’s office. Renewals, previously possible by phone or through a relative or guardian listed in the family file, are no longer accepted.

Refugees are also denouncing the slow and inadequate processing of the document, which is only valid for two months and remains in high demand. In Meheba, the office responsible for “Gate Passes” is only open two days a week, Mondays and Fridays, for more than 30,000 people.

“We don’t understand why our rights are being curtailed while we were hoping for daily issuance of the document,” complained some refugees interviewed by SOS Médias Burundi.

Students, traders, and workers are among those most affected. Some believe these restrictions could push refugees to abandon official procedures and resort to clandestine travel.

“This restructuring solves nothing. It risks encouraging illegality,” said a representative of the Burundian community in the Meheba camp.

This situation arises amid intense migratory pressure, marked by the arrival of new refugees, particularly Burundians from refugee camps in Tanzania, which have been reported to be undergoing a gradual and unilateral closure.

According to Zambian immigration officials, arrivals continue through both legal and illegal channels. Burundians are among the most represented nationalities, with a notable increase in recent months.

“Before June 2025, the number of Burundian refugees was estimated at around 8,000. Today, it exceeds 15,000,” stated Interior Minister Jack Mwiimbu at the end of March.

The Meheba camp alone hosts more than 30,000 refugees, including approximately 5,000 Burundians, as well as Congolese and other nationalities.