This archive report was first published on 3 October 2019.
On October 3, 2019, nearly 600 Burundian refugees returned to their homes in Burundi, marking the start of a mass repatriation program.
The refugees had fled to Tanzania in 2015 to escape a surge of political violence in Burundi, where President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term in office sparked widespread unrest.
A UN Commission on Burundi reported in September 2019 that there was a risk of a fresh wave of atrocities as Burundi approached a 2020 election with its political crisis unresolved.
Despite these concerns, Burundi and Tanzania agreed in August 2019 to start repatriating 200,000 refugees, citing improved conditions in Burundi.
A Tanzanian government official and the United Nations have maintained that all of the returns on October 3 were voluntary.
However, some refugees have expressed fears that they might be forcibly returned to Burundi after Tanzania's Home Affairs Minister Kangi Lugola said in a video posted to Twitter in August 2019 that Tanzania would send home 'all Burundians' because 'Burundi is peaceful'.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said it had organized flights for 590 Burundian refugees to return home and had not promoted the repatriation program, but was ready to help anyone who wanted to go back.
It urged the governments of Tanzania and Burundi to respect their commitments to uphold international obligations and ensure that any refugee returns remain voluntary.
