In the last eight months, 36 Burundian refugees living in Rwanda have been repatriated.

The refugees have been living in Kigeme refugee camp in Nyamagabe District, explained Senior Protection Officer, Honorine Sommet Lange at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kimihurura on Wednesday.

Lange stressed that repatriation is voluntary. "We even give them a chance to visit home before they make the decision.”

Before the refugees are repatriated, they first make a trip home to see by themselves how things have changed.

"We also had a delegation of Burundian leaders who came and talked to the refugees and informed them about the positive steps that have taken place home,” said Lange.

The Executive Secretary of National Council for Refugees, Innocent Ngango, confirmed the repatriation in a telephone interview yesterday.

"We did an intensive survey before repatriation, and we made sure the process is purely voluntary,” stressed Ngango.

Burundian refugees in Rwanda are either hosted at Kigeme Refugee Camp or live in Kigali as urban refugees.

The statistics indicate that 11 refugees were repatriated to Burundi in the month of February, 10 in July, 7 in august and 8 in the month of September.

Insecurity and food shortages were the major factors that led to these refugees fleeing their mother country.

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