THE government has appealed to the international community to remove economic sanctions imposed on Burundi and provide support to the country to receive its citizens who are returning back home.
The Director of the Refugees Services Department in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Sudi Mwakibasi, said the international community should intervene and see how they can support the creation of a good living environment in Burundi so that refugees could not be tempted to return to Tanzania.
Mr Mwakibasi made the appeal here yesterday during a joint media briefing by six ambassadors from four European Union countries, the UK and Switzerland as they wound up their tour of Nduta, Mtendeli and Nyarugusu refugee camps.
He said besides supporting refugee operations in Tanzania, the international community should also see the possibilities of supporting the areas where the refugees are coming from so that they can successfully resettle in their country of origin.
“Burundi receiving capacity especially in education is only 49 per cent, this means that 51 per cent of returnees won’t be easily accommodated in the education system,” he said.
He further noted that, repatriation is done to refugees who have indicated a desire to go back home following improvements in political and socio- economic conditions in their country of origin.
“The refugees are not forced to return to their home countries but the process is done to those who want to return voluntarily,” he said.
Mr Mwakibasi further said that the visit was important as ambassadors were part of the international community which finances refugees’ activities through the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
UNHCR Representative Mr Antonio Canhandula said that Tanzania started receiving refugees before even its independence and that thMr Canhandula said since the refugees represent considerable weight on administration and economy of the country the visit by the ambassadors aims at reaffirming the continuity of international solidarity with the people and Tanzanian government.
“The envoys are here to represent international solidarity which is channeled mainly through UNHCR but also through other organisations and the international community in general,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of other envoys, Belgium Ambassador to Tanzania Peter Van Acker stressed on voluntary repatriation of refugees and pledged that they will continue to campaign and mobilise resources to support Tanzania in refugee operations.
Other envoys who visited refugee hosting areas in Kigoma Region are Mette Norgaad, (Denmark) Regine Hess ( Germany), Jeroen Verheul (Netherlands) David Noncar (UK) and Didier Chassot (Swiss Confederation).
Tanzania currently hosts 260,394 refugees and asylum seekers mainly from Burundi and DR Congo. Some 85 per cent of the refugees in Tanzania live in Nduta, Mtendeli and Nyarugusu camps.