Bwagiriza : exit passes for money, refugees denounce alleged extortion

SOS Médias Burundi

Ruyigi, August 21, 2026 — Refugees at the Bwagiriza camp, located in the district of Ruyigi, in the province of Buhumuza, eastern Burundi, are denouncing persistent difficulties in obtaining exit passes, an administrative document allowing them to temporarily leave the camp to travel to other districts or provinces in the country.

According to several testimonies gathered from refugees, obtaining this document, which is normally issued free of charge in the camps, has become difficult at times. Some claim to have been confronted with demands for money to obtain their exit permit. The amounts mentioned by witnesses can exceed 20,000 Burundian francs.

For the refugees concerned, this situation represents an additional burden, particularly for those who need to travel for family, administrative, or professional reasons, or to access certain services that are not available within the camp.

“We are sometimes asked for money.”

“This problem isn’t new,” says Stéphane, a refugee from Bwagiriza. According to him, the difficulties related to exit permits have existed for a long time, but the situation has worsened in recent days.

“We’ve been having trouble obtaining exit permits for a long time. But in recent days, the situation has become more difficult. We are sometimes asked for money for this document, even though it should be issued free of charge. For some refugees, paying more than 20,000 francs is very difficult,” he states.

A roadblock denounced near the camp

The same refugee also mentions a roadblock erected near the camp, at Kwisumo Centre, where, according to several accounts, young men described by the refugees as Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the CNDD-FDD, the ruling party, are demanding money from people wishing to use this road.

This situation is causing concern among the camp residents, who say they have repeatedly asked for this roadblock to be removed or for the reported practices to cease, without seeing any significant change, according to them.

“We have repeatedly asked these young men to leave the road and for this roadblock to be removed. So far, our requests have had no effect. Refugees who pass through this area say they are being asked for money,” the witness continues.

These accusations could not be independently verified.

Allegations of payments in certain services

Beyond the issue of exit tickets, several refugees interviewed reported difficulties they attributed to alleged corruption in accessing certain administrative services.

They specifically cited services under the National Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (ONPRA), stating that they were sometimes asked for money to access services they consider free.

These accounts raise questions about fair access to administrative services within the camp and the complaint mechanisms available to refugees who believe they have been subjected to undue demands for money.

More than 8,000 refugees in the camp

The Bwagiriza camp currently hosts more than 8,000 refugees.

In a context where a large proportion of residents depend on administrative and humanitarian services, any difficulty accessing these services can have significant consequences for their daily lives.

In response to these accusations, refugees are demanding greater transparency in the issuance of exit permits and a mechanism for easily reporting any demands for money related to administrative services.

They also want relevant authorities to investigate the presence of barriers on the routes used by refugees and to verify the accusations of payments demanded from those wishing to travel.

The relevant authorities and the National Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (ONPRA) have not yet publicly responded to these accusations.