Tanzania to Grant Citizenship to Burundians
Published: 22/Août/2017
Source: The East African (Nairobi)
By Beatrice Materu
Tanzania has said it will offer citizenship to more Burundi refugees who have been in the country for more than 45 years.
Tanzania has already naturalised more than 162,000 Burundian refugees who fled their country in 1972.
Two weeks ago, the UNHCR held talks with the Tanzanian government and agreed that Burundian refugees should return home voluntarily, and that those who had stayed in the country for more than 45 years could be granted citizenship.
Home Affairs Minister Mwigulu Nchemba and UNHCR assistant high commissioner for protection Volker Türk committed to the voluntary return by refugees by the end of August.
« The government of Tanzania in collaboration with UNHCR is in the final stages of the naturalisation process for the 1972 Burundi refugees, » said UNHRC spokesperson Teresa Ongaro in a statement to The EastAfrican.
Read further: http://allafrica.com/stories/201708220446.html