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Burundi camp now empty after government sends Rwandans home
13 Jun 2005 Thousands of Rwandans who had sought asylum in Burundi have now been returned home from Songore transit centre. Although alarmed, UNHCR has been unable to verify if they went home voluntarily as the refugee agency has been denied access to the centre. -
UNHCR concerned as Rwandans converge on Burundi transit centre
31 May 2005 Thousands of Rwandan asylum seekers are being moved to Songore transit centre after their border sites were dismantled and another transit centre was closed. Songore is ill-equipped to host the new arrivals, who will have to live in the open until the centre is expanded in the coming weeks. -
Congolese students take exams in exile
19 May 2005 They yearn to learn, and have been undaunted by rough conditions in their camps in Burundi. UNHCR and the school authorities have arranged for these refugee students to take their high school exams in Bujumbura, but they cannot afford the uniforms needed to complete the final test in July. -
Intimidation reported as Rwandans return from Burundi
13 May 2005 UNHCR has raised serious concerns over reports from some Rwandan asylum seekers in Burundi that indicate physical and verbal intimidation are being used to force them to go home. The refugee agency has been unable to monitor these returns as most of them happen during curfew hours. -
UNHCR concerned about 5,000 Rwandans on Burundi border
11 May 2005 More than 600 people gathered in Geneva for a charity concert organised by the Geneva Lion's Club in support of UNHCR's "Together for Girls" initiative in Dadaab refugee camp. -
Tanzania camp to close as Burundian refugees return home
5 Apr 2005 Karago camp will be closed towards the end of April as Tanzania consolidates camps that are emptying out with the departure of Burundian refugees for home. However, UNHCR notes that the pace of returns has slowed and that the Burundi repatriation programme is severely under-funded. -
Burundi reintegration to receive $300,000 boost from OPEC Fund
18 Mar 2005 The UN refugee agency announced today that the OPEC Fund for International Development has agreed to contribute $300,000 to support UNHCR's efforts to help some 4,000 refugee families who recently returned home to two provinces in north-eastern Burundi. -
Hundreds of Burundians flee for Rwanda, citing fears of violence
11 Mar 2005 More than 800 Burundians have arrived in neighbouring Rwanda in the last two weeks amid a reported rise in tensions surrounding a recent referendum. This, together with the worsening food shortage in northern Burundi, could affect the repatriation of Burundian refugees. -
Registration project improves profile of refugees in Mozambique
30 Dec 2004 The UN refugee agency has launched an innovative initiative to improve refugee registration, known as Project Profile. In Mozambique's Marratane camp, the new system will allow the refugee authorities to update refugee data and provide them with new identity cards within hours.