Nyarugusu (Tanzania) : Massive repatriation of refugees resumes

More than 250 households were repatriated on Thursday, a first in over a year. Some refugees say that “we have no other choice”, blaming the untenable conditions in the Nyarugusu camp.

INFO SOS Médias Burundi

They set off on their way back on Thursday morning after spending a night in a waiting shed in the middle of the Nyarugusu camp.

Their number is impressive.

“This is the first time since 2022 in any case. More than 250 households with more than 1200 people in a single convoy! The number was so large that they could not be contained in a single ordinary waiting shed, they had to settle in other newly erected tents”, says a community leader.

These refugees are mainly from the provinces of Makamba, Rumonge, Bururi, Ruyigi and Rutana in the southeast and southwest of Burundi. The returnees are mainly women and children, noted a reporter from SOS Médias Burundi.

Various reasons….

According to witnesses, many of these refugees are not happy to return to the country. Some made the decision after being removed from the ration distribution list.

“Last month, several refugees did not see themselves on the food distribution list, they did not have any explanations except that there were technical errors, which does not convince anyone here. So, to find yourself on the list, it can take more than six months or you may never find yourself there,” explained refugees adding that several of the returnees are in this category.

For others, they are overwhelmed by the poor conditions imposed on them, including the closure of classrooms, markets and health facilities.

“The future is uncertain, let us go and die at home,” murmured a mother of children, who was repatriated. She ran a shop that was destroyed in zone 9.

Another reason is that a Burundian delegation recently visited this camp to raise awareness among refugees about voluntary return.

“There are those who have indicated that they are returning to check whether promises of the delegations sent here are real or not, particularly regarding security and the granting of credits to develop and start small businesses,” emphasizes a source on site.

Finally, the last category is that of people who are accused or suspected of any offense.

“Returning late at night, going out without permission, not participating in work designed by the administration or any other suspicion, all this constitutes a reason to be punished with involuntary return, which is deplorable,” regret Burundian refugees who confided in SOS Médias Burundi.

According to a community leader, the numbers on Thursday are very striking, as Nyarugusu is known for its resistance to repatriation.

Nyarugusu hosts more than 110,000 refugees, including more than 50,000 Burundians.

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Returnees, mostly women, wait for a UNHCR bus which will take them back to Burundi, on August 22, 2024 in Nyarugusu (SOS Médias Burundi)