Tanzania has been home to hundreds of thousands of refugees over decades. They have offered citizenship to tens of thousands since 1972. Recently, Tanzania has begun coercively expelling Burundian refugees to leave. Over 163,000 Burundians have left, fearing arrest or deportation.

This comes following the October 11th comment by President John Magufuli that Burundian refugees should “go home.”

Comments from Humanitarian organizations regarding Tanzania’s remark

According to Bill Frelick, the Director of Refugee Rights at Human Rights Watch, Tanzania needs to change its direction to avoid unlawfully forcing more people to leave.

In response, Home Affairs Minister Kangi Lugola, speaking on behalf of the government, refutes the allegations of refugee expulsion. This contradicts the statements of 20 Burundian refugees who were interviewed and claimed to have left Tanzania for Burundi and Uganda in August.

Burundian Refugees’ statements

One man said: “I returned to Burundi because the Tanzanian authorities said those staying would be forced back… The police became increasingly violent, and insecurity was why I decided to return. Imbonerakure members targeted him “They arrested me, tied my arms behind my back and said, ‘you said you fled [Burundi] because of the Imbonerakure, but we are still here.’” He said his wife paid a bribe for his release, and he fled to Uganda.

Another 40-year-old woman added: “I decided to leave the camp when the authorities said they would start sending people back on October 1 and that they didn’t want any more refugees in Tanzania….”

A refugee who left Mtendeli camp in October also remarked: “Tanzanian authorities intimidated people to make them sign up for repatriation. A 25-year-old woman recounted: “I left because of what happened in Mtabila. I didn’t want to be forced back while there is insecurity in Burundi.”

One refugee who was repatriated to Burundi in August 2018 said: “I didn’t want to leave but they put us in an untenable situation… [The Sungu Sungu] forbade us from listening to the radio and beat us if they found us out after 7 p.m. They worked with the Tanzania police, which collaborates with the Burundian police.” Also, a 35-year-old carpenter said: “Something changed after August 2019. Assistance for building houses or education programs were suspended.”

Recommendation to Tanzania

Tanzania is legally bound by the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1969 African Refugee Convention, which prohibit refoulement. This means they shouldn’t force refugees to return to places where their lives or freedom would be at risk.

Between September 2017 and October 2019, UNHCR, Burundi, and Tanzania reached an agreement for voluntary repatriation. It has resulted in 78,380 Burundians leaving Tanzania, approximately 725 individuals per week.

However, a law enacted in December compelled all refugees to return to their home countries. Around 3,300 individuals were registered but not granted “active status,” rendering them susceptible to government pressure and involuntary return to Burundi.

Human Rights Watch’s research reveals that as of October 31, approximately 151,000 registered refugees resided in Tanzanian camps. An additional 12,000 were registered asylum seekers awaiting decisions on their asylum applications by Tanzanian authorities.

In conjunction with Human Rights Watch, an analysis of cases respecting international regulations should be undertaken. Tanzanian authorities prohibited ten UNHCR staff members involved in managing the refugee registration database from entering the camp.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Union should send a team to visit the refugee camps and urge Tanzania not to directly or indirectly forcibly return asylum seekers or refugees. “The African Union should publicly press the Tanzanian authorities to stop trying to bully refugees and the UN into submission,” Frelick said.

Original articles published on 27 December 2019 on Organization for World Peace.

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