Burundi: Information on whether persons recognized as Convention refugees and issued travel documents by the government of Burundi have the right to return to Burundi; on whether they have the right of freedom from removal or expulsion from Burundi; on whether the rights of Convention refugees under the 1951 Convention and International Bill of Rights are being respected; and on the rights Convention refugees enjoy in Burundi
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BDI13132 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Burundi: Information on whether persons recognized as Convention refugees and issued travel documents by the government of Burundi have the right to return to Burundi; on whether they have the right of freedom from removal or expulsion from Burundi; on whether the rights of Convention refugees under the 1951 Convention and International Bill of Rights are being respected; and on the rights Convention refugees enjoy in Burundi, 1 February 1993, BDI13132, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acc56c.html [accessed 11 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a consular officer at the Embassy of Burundi in Ottawa, a person who has been recognized as a Convention refugee and issued a travel document by the government of Burundi has the right to leave and return to Burundi (9 Feb. 1993). According to the officer, the person also has the right to be free from removal or expulsion from Burundi (Ibid.). The officer also corroborated that those who are recognized as Convention refugees enjoy rights under the 1951 Convention and under the International Bill of Rights (Ibid.). Convention refugees have the same right to education and work as Burundian citizens but they do not have a right to vote (Ibid.).
However, according to a Rwandan professional, there is discrimination in Burundi against Rwandan refugees in education and employment (9 Feb. 1992). According to the source, although Rwandan nationals are allowed to attend secondary schools they are required to obtain higher grades than Burundian students to be admitted to university or college (Ibid.). Professional schools and employment in the public service is also restricted to refugees (Ibid.).
Additional or corroborating information is currently unavailable to the DIRB in Ottawa.
References
Embassy of Burundi, Ottawa. 9 February 1993. Telephone interview with consular officer.
Professional from Rwanda. 9 February 1993. Telephone interview with consular officer.
