Kirundo: more than fifty Burundian nationals returned from Rwanda
At least 52 Burundians were returned from Rwanda this Thursday. They had illegally entered the country, according to Rwandan authorities, describing them as undocumented immigrants. Most of them are former refugees who had been repatriated from the Mahama camp located further east, in Rwanda. INFO SOS Médias Burundi
Administrative sources in Kirundo (northern Burundi) say those concerned come from the communes of Busoni (46), Bugabira (2), Giteranyi (3) of the Muyinga province (north-east) and one who claims to be from Cibitoke province (northwest), adding he does not know precisely his native commune.
“He indicates he left Burundi in 1982 with his parents when he was still a child,” say our sources, who specify that the man in question claims that his mother was of Rwandan nationality, his father being Burundian.
The communal administration of Busoni which ensured the reception of these returnees reports that all have already been taken to their hill of origin except the one from Cibitoke, “because he no longer remembers his place of birth”.
The Busoni municipal authority speaks of good collaboration with Rwanda in the exchange of people who do not have permission to settle on all sides.
Causes of illegal presence in Rwanda
Most of those returned say they went to Rwanda in search of work.
“There, we earn a lot compared to Burundi. For example, a rural employee earns two thousand Rwandan francs per day. This is more than twice the value in Burundian currency,” they explain.
They are calling for the establishment of a one-stop service on the border to facilitate movements between Burundi and Rwanda, as is the case in the Ngozi and Muyinga provinces.
Most of those returned are former refugees from the Mahama camp in Rwanda who had repatriated.
You might also like
Tanzania : Burundian authorities want to repatriate refugees at all costs
A Burundian-Tanzanian delegation visited two Burundian refugee camps in Nduta and Nyarugusu this week. The message was unique : return before December 2024. However, most of those concerned do not
DRC : over 3 million displaced people have returned, but without any assistance, OCHA warns
SOS Médias Burundi Goma, August 11, 2025 – According to the latest report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than three million internally
Nakivale (Uganda) : a refugee died in a fire
An arson attack broke out in the village of “New Hope.” A child from a Burundian refugee family died in the fire. The police say they have launched an investigation.