This archive report was first published on 11 October 2019.
On Friday, October 11, 2019, Tanzanian President John Magufuli urged Burundian refugees to return home, stating that they could no longer stay in Tanzania indefinitely.
Magufuli made the remarks during a rally in Katavi region, near a large refugee camp in northwestern Tanzania, where he warned that refugees would not be granted citizenship.
“Go back to your home...don’t insist on staying in Tanzania as refugees or expect citizenship while Burundi is now stable,” Magufuli said.
He also drew a comparison to Jesus, saying that even the biblical figure had fled to Egypt as a refugee before returning to his land to preach.
Magufuli’s comments come as hundreds of Burundians have been killed in clashes with security forces since 2015, when President Pierre Nkurunziza ran for a third, disputed term in office.
According to the United Nations, Burundians made up the majority of the 280,000 refugees registered in Tanzania at the end of 2018.
