UNHCR, Governments of Burundi, United Republic of Tanzania to accelerate returns of Burundian refugees back home, as similar exercises advance in East and Southern Africa
UNHCR, Governments of Burundi, United Republic of Tanzania to accelerate returns of Burundian refugees back home, as similar exercises advance in East and Southern Africa
UNHCR, Governments of Burundi, United Republic of Tanzania at a signing ceremony during the 26th meeting of the Tripartite Commission on the Voluntary Repatriation of Burundian Refugees in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.
Dar es Salaam – At the 26th meeting of the Tripartite Commission on the Voluntary Repatriation of Burundian Refugees, held in November 2025, the Governments of the Republic of Burundi, the United Republic of Tanzania, together with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate the voluntary return of Burundian refugees from Tanzania to Burundi.
The Parties agreed to facilitating the return of up to 3,000 individuals per week, in full respect of the principles of voluntariness, safety, dignity, and international protection standards. Returns will be guided by findings from the Comprehensive Protection and Solutions-Based Assessment (CPSBA), jointly conducted by Tanzania and UNHCR in 2025, which assessed the profiles and solutions pathways for the remaining Burundian refugee population in Tanzania.
“We have already moved beyond the stage of discussing whether refugees from Burundi should return to their country. What is now required is to place emphasis on the modalities and orderly procedures for their repatriation, given that Burundi is safe and the circumstances that compelled them to flee no longer exist,” said Hon. George Simbachawene, Minister for Home Affairs of Tanzania.
The parties also committed to mobilizing donor support and channelling reintegration assistance through government systems in Burundi to strengthen service delivery and ensure sustainable outcomes for returnees.
“Durable solutions are the cornerstone of refugee protection, and for Burundian refugees, this means not just returning home but rebuilding lives with dignity and stability. Yet, declining funding threatens these efforts. We urgently call on the international community to step up support so that returns are sustainable, and no one is left behind,” said Ms. Barbara Bentum-Williams Dotse, UNHCR’s Representative in the United Republic of Tanzania.
Recognising Tanzania’s decades-long generosity in hosting Burundian refugees, the Government of Burundi reaffirmed its commitment to creating conducive conditions in areas of return, including access to basic services and economic opportunities that promote self-reliance for returnees and host communities alike.
“The Government of Burundi wishes to express its profound appreciation to the United Republic of Tanzania for its longstanding hospitality in generously hosting Burundian refugees. With all necessary conditions now in place, Burundi stands ready to welcome its citizens back home, leaving none behind. The Government is working closely with all partners to ensure that every returnee is received in safety and dignity,” said Brigadier General Richard Ndayisaba, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Community Development, and Public Security.
In recent years, an increasing number of refugees have chosen to return and restart life back home. Following UNHCR’s shift from facilitating to promoting voluntary returns to Burundi in 2024, more than 184,000 Burundian refugees have returned from Tanzania since the repatriation programme began in September 2017, including 6,045 in 2025. In Kenya, a further 1,018 Burundian refugees were assisted to voluntarily return to Burundi this year as of 15 December 2025.
UNHCR remains committed to supporting reintegration by facilitating access to essential services, livelihoods, and protection, and will continue to advocate for approaches that uphold the dignity and wellbeing of all refugees who choose to return home voluntarily.
As of the end of November 2025, Tanzania hosts approximately 142,000 Burundians refugees in Nduta and Nyarugusu camps, and more than 86,000 Congolese refugees in Nyarugusu Camp.
The final Joint Communiques are available here in English and French.
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For more information, please contact:
(Government of the United Republic of Tanzania) Head of Government Communication Unit, Ministry of Home Affairs, [email protected]
(Government of the Republic of Burundi) Lt-Col Pierre Nkurikiye, Spokesperson, Ministry of Interior, Community Development and Public Security, [email protected]
(UNHCR, In Bujumbura) Bernard Ntwari, [email protected]; (In Dar es Salaam) Bahia Egeh, [email protected]; (In Nairobi) Faith Kasina, [email protected]
