SOME 11,826 Burundian refugees have already voluntarily registered for repatriation, a few weeks after President John Magufuli asked the immigrants to go back home following reports that Burundi has currently stabilised.
This was revealed by the Regional Commissioner for Kigoma, Retired Brigadier General Emmanuel Maganga, during a telephone interview yesterday. President Magufuli’s plea followed information by his Burundian counterpart, Mr Pierre Nkurunziza, that the East African nation is now enjoying peace.
He advised the immigrants to return to Burundi and participate in nation building. “We have been encourag ing these refugees to voluntarily register for repatriation as the situation back home has come back to normal,” Home Affairs Minister Mwigulu Nchemba, who toured the refugees camps said recently.
The minister was drumming drum up President Magufuli’s plea to those refugees to go back home ”said the Regional Commissioner. He noted that most of the refugees who have registered for repatriation would like to see the exercise taking place as soon as possible so they can be there during the farming season.
Meanwhile, Tanzania, Burundi and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) meet today to discuss preparations for the repatriation exercise of the Burundian refugees. According to sources at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Minister Mwigulu Nchemba will chair the tripartite meeting which will be held at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre.
The meeting, which will be attended by UNHCR country Representative, ministers in charge of refugees of both countries as well as regional commissioners of refugee hosting regions of Kigoma and Kagera.
The tripartite meeting is expected to deliberate on issues pertaining to the repatriation exercise of Burundian refugees who have voluntarily registered to return home. The meeting will place as per international agreements regarding refugees which oblige parties to agree on how to smoothly conduct repatriation to ensure return in safety and with dignity.
The outcomes of the meet ing are expected, on the one hand, to allow Burundi officials to visit refugee camps in Tanzania and on the other hand they will also provide the opportunity for refugees representatives to visit Burundi to satisfy themselves with the actual situation in the country.
Having done that, the international community through UNHCR will take charge to return them to their country of origin but with dignity. Under such arrangement, refugees are supposed to be assisted, for a certain period, with daily life necessities like food and shelter to help them smoothly reintegrate with the home community.
The meeting is taking place amid reports that World Food Programme (WFP) has reduced food ration to refugees due to lack of funds.
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