Accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR) and the High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR), the refugees were repatriated back to Burundi, via Akanyaru border on Monday, 2nd April 2018.
The procedure of sending back Burundian Asylum seekers started on Sunday, 1st April whereby 1607 refugees who were hosted in Gashora transit Centre, in Bugesera District were sent home.
MIDIMAR Permanent Secretary, Olivier Kayumba said that all refugees hosted in Kamanyola transit Centre, in Nyanza District, who arrived in Rwanda on March, 7th 2018; were all sent back to Burundi on their free-will.
“They have refused to abide by laws and obligations regulating refugees in Rwanda which includes biometric numeration and vaccination against tuberculosis and declining these services was not an option for the asylum seekers, especially as many of them were already infected.” said Mr Kayumba
After their refusal, Burundian refugees started signing a voluntary repatriation letter that would see them repatriated to their country; Officials from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR) and the High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR) obliged and facilitated their return to Burundi.
On arrival in Rwanda, Burundian asylum seekers were immediately transferred to three temporary sites; 1607 who were sent back to Burundi on Sunday, were hosted in Bugesera district; 522 were placed in Nyanza District; 394 remaining were hosted in Nyarushishi Transit Center, in Rusizi District.
All Burundian asylum seekers are expected to cross back to their home.
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