{The government is finalising physical verification of Burundi refugees before naturalising them, the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Hamad Yusuf Masauni, told the National Assembly here.}
He was responding to a basic question by Mr Richard Mbogo (Nsimbo-CCM), when he added that the government was conducting the exercise jointly with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Mr Masauni pointed out that they were expecting by the end of this year, the exercise would be completed to enable the process of issuing the citizenship to refugees who would qualify as per requirement of the law.
In the question, Mr Mbogo sought to know when the government would implement the president’s promise of giving citizenship to refugees who have remained at Katumba, Mushamo and Ulyankulu camps.
The lawmaker stated that in 2009, the government issued citizenship to Burundian refugees who entered the country in 1992 and others who were born at the said camps.
He also wanted to know when the government would cancel refugee status at Katumba camp to avoid contradiction to Refugee Act No. 20 that prohibits the assembly of more than five people.
In his response, however, the deputy minister made some minor corrections to the questions with the effect that it was true the government issued citizenship to Burundian refugees, who entered the country in 1972 and not 1992.
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