Burundian refugees begin to repatriate amid new arrivals

Burundian refugees in Rwanda stood at 68,191 as of Tuesday, a day when 108 more arrived, despite reports indicating that some unregistered refugees are returning home. “Some Burundian refugees are going back according to what we hear. Most of those going back are those staying out of camps,” Frederic Ntawukuriryayo, the communication officer at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, told The New Times yesterday. “The few going back home did not register as refugees.” This comes just days after last week’s election, where President Pierre Nkurunziza won a controversial third term. Ntawukuriryayo, who noted that a few in the transit centres have also inquired about returning home, also stressed that “it is the right of refugees to go back home .” Meanwhile, at least 60 Burundians refugees were received on Tuesday, at the transit camp in Bugesera, 40 in Mahama and eight in Nyanza, while 428 others who prefer to stay in urban areas were registered in Kigali, according to Ntawukuriryayo. Erika Fitzpatrick, who works with the communications department of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in Kigali, said they had received reports that refugees are spontaneously returning, adding that he was still working with the Directorate of Immigration to ascertain the numbers that have returned. “At the moment, it is a little difficult to know (real numbers) as it has been spontaneous. Although UNHCR is always the first to welcome refugees who return to their country of origin, at this time we cannot promote a safe return as the situation in Burundi is still uncertain. Therefore, we are not facilitating returns at this moment,” Fitzpatrick said. “Our understanding is that urban refugees are the first to return as living in Kigali with no income is very expensive. We are also hearing reports that students are returning home since national exams are scheduled for the first week of August.” The total number of Burundian refugees registered in Rwanda’s urban areas was 20,624 as of Tuesday evening. The ministry’s figures estimate 18,391 of these are in Kigali and 2,233 in Huye. Although there are reports of refugees returning, Fitzpatrick equally confirmed, they are still receiving new arrivals every day. While 108 arrived on Tuesday, she said, the number of arrivals the day before was 153. “The number of refugees in Mahama camp surpassed 30,000 last week, and we are increasing services in the camp to accommodate the over 16,000 still living in reception centres.” When the number of the Burundian refugees’ arrivals hit 10,000 in late April, the Government started relocating them from transit camps to Mahama camp in Kirehe District. Latest figures from the Ministry of Disaster Management also indicate that of the registered Burundian refugees in Rwanda, 23,487 are children, while 11,552 are women. The ministry pointed out that more urban refugees, including 2,024 in Kigali and 842 in Huye, have appointments for registration in the coming days. If those are added to the total of those already officially registered the provisional total shoots to 71,057. Meanwhile, UN electoral observers in Burundi say last Tuesday’s election was “not conducive for an inclusive, free and credible electoral process.” About 100 people have died in protests and widespread violence since the ruling party, the National Council for the Defence of Democracy Forces for Defence and Democracy (CNDD-FDD), announced in April that Nkurunziza would run again. Reports indicated yesterday that there was a lull in violence in the capital Bujumbura. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Burundian refugees begin to repatriate amid new arrivals