Sep 11, 2018
Forced Out
The Tanzanian government’s newest attempt to repatriate Burundi refugees
Refugee camps do not represent durable solutions to the refugee crisis. However, they were created for a reason: to shelter individuals fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries. The ideal next step after an individual requests refugee status is for them to repatriate. If that is not an option, the next solution is to integrate into the new host community. Where that is not available, resettlement is the final option. In modern conflict, it is not easy to identify the precise time when war or violence is complete — when it is safe for residents to leave these camps and return to their homes. Times of conflict have become increasingly protracted, with quiet and peace interspersed with bouts of extreme violence. Therefore, any long-term decision on repatriating refugees must be made in a thoughtful, analytical way, taking all factors into account.
Burundi has been afflicted by civil unrest since gaining independence from Belgium in 1962. Following two smaller displacements, Burundi saw 400,000 of its citizens flee the country in 1993 after the first Hutu president was assassinated. Most of these individuals fled to Tanzania. Under international and Tanzanian law, the Government of Tanzania can legally withdraw refugee status in circumstances where the threat that led to the granting of refugee status no longer exists. In July 2012, Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete, decided to take advantage of this ability. To the dismay of Burundi residents of Mtabila refugee camp, Kikwete announced that “all refugee camps sheltering Burundian refugees would be closed down” due to “no strong reason for Burundians to stay…when back home peace had been restored and life was back to normal in their motherland.” Mtabila refugee camp was home to 38,000 refugees, most of whom fled Burundi in the 1990s.
Residents of Mtabila had heard word that something like this might be happening and were even offered a monetary incentive to voluntarily repatriate.
Even with an incentive, Mtabila residents were not willing to risk a move back to Burundi, knowing the situation was not yet stable. In an attempt to create conditions in which refugees had little to no option but to repatriate, the Tanzanian government restricted basic assistance (food and medication), access to livelihoods, and freedom of movement. Refugees who had farmed land just outside of the confines of the camp, were now unable to access and cultivate their farms. Those who attempted were beaten and dragged back to the camp.
In order to move forward in removing Burundi refugees from Tanzania, the government proceeded with a process for cessation of refugee status. This process involved a large scale screening to decide which individuals still required refugee status and which were determined safe to go back to Burundi. 33,708 were determined “obliged to go back.” These individuals could appeal, but misunderstandings along with fear tactics from the government dissuaded many from trying. Ultimately, the government, with assistance from the Tanzanian army, loaded those remaining refugees into trucks to be taken to “receiving centres” in southern Burundi.
Today, there are over 230,000 Burundian refugees left in Tanzania. Three years after Burundi president Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term, triggering a national state of emergency that saw hundreds of deaths, officials say Burundi is safe again. Similar to actions seen in Mtabila in 2012, Tanzanian officials have recently visited camps and urged refugees to sign up for voluntary repatriation. However, the vast majority of Burundi refugees have decided to stay in Tanzania, questioning the validity of the government’s remarks on safety.
“I don’t see how I can go back to Burundi given the current situation there,” says a young refugee. “There is a great risk. If I return, I can even get killed. The Imbonerakure militia that persecuted me are still there. The solution to my problems is not to go back.”
In the face of such remarks, the Tanzania government has continued to take steps eerily similar to those taken in Mtabila. In August 2018, restrictions were imposed on economic activity in the camps. Market days were reduced, the sale of certain items was banned, and movement outside of the camp, even with a permit, was prohibited. A source inside Nyarugusu refugee camp provided the sign below, outlining the present restrictions:
In addition to these restrictions, bicycles have been prohibited. Permits to leave the camp have been suspended since the effectiveness of this announcement (August 15, 2018). Many Burundians who have left camps to collect firewood or farm have been detained and abused by officials as well as Tanzanian citizens. The similarity of this string of events to what happened in Mtabila cannot be denied. Tanzanian officials allegedly told refugees: “Do not wait for the country to become angry, as in Mtabila.” It is easy to assume that the use of force is not far off. What’s more is that those suffering from the restrictions in the camps are not all Burundian. Over half of the residents in Nyarugusu refugee camp are from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country with ongoing violence and no realistic hope of repatriation in the near future.
The reality is that pressure to return and restrictions on refugee livelihoods increase the risk of human rights abuses, whether in the country of exile or repatriation. UNCHRs Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Volker Turk, said, “It is crucial not to pressure Burundian refugees directly or indirectly to influence their decision on return…Refugees need to have a meaningful choice and the decision to return must be voluntary, based on facts and ground realities.”
With host countries forcing repatriation, not embracing integration, and many Western countries closing the door on resettlement, it is up to the international community to reassess the options available to refugees — otherwise, we will continue to see repeats of Mtabila and the use of force on those fleeing violence and persecution.
Sources
International Refugee Rights Initiative and Rema Ministries (2012, August). An urgent briefing on the situation of Burundian refugees in Mtabila camp in Tanzania. https://reliefweb.int/report/united-republic-tanzania/urgent-briefing-situation-burundian-refugees-mtabila-camp-tanzania
Trevizo, P. (2012, August). Time running out for Burundians. Times Free Press,https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/news/story/2012/aug/01/time-running-out-for-burundians/83950/
Umer, J. (2018, August). UN refugee agency urges Tanzania to ensure Burundi refugees return home voluntarily. Urdu Point, https://www.urdupoint.com/en/world/un-refugee-agency-urges-tanzania-to-ensure-bu-417559.html
Van Laer, T. (2018, August). There is pressure on us: Burundian refugees in Tanzania pushed to return. African Arguments, https://africanarguments.org/2018/08/21/pressure-burundi-refugees-tanzania-pushed-return/
