This archive report was first published on 7 September 2019.
On July 1, Uganda welcomed a total of 8,295 new refugees, with 6,490 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 944 from South Sudan, and 861 from Burundi.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), this marks a 32% decrease in overall refugee arrivals compared to the previous month.
However, the UNHCR noted a significant spike in Burundian refugee arrivals, with a 121% increase compared to the previous month.
UNHCR Uganda spokesperson Ms. Duniya Aslam Khan attributed the spike to Tanzania's plan to repatriate Burundian refugees starting in October, just eight months before Burundi's presidential election in May 2020.
Ms. Khan stated, 'We don't know the cause of this spike. Our arrival check point analysts are still studying the data.'
Some analysts argue that the rise in new arrivals from Burundi was expected and will continue into next year, triggered by Tanzania's repatriation plan.
