Burundi: The status of rights that refugees, including Rwandan refugees, have in Burundi, especially whether refugees have the right to return and reside, to work and to study; whether they have full access to social services available to citizens (September 2002)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 5 September 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | BDI39992.E |
| Reference | 4 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Burundi: The status of rights that refugees, including Rwandan refugees, have in Burundi, especially whether refugees have the right to return and reside, to work and to study; whether they have full access to social services available to citizens (September 2002) , 5 September 2002, BDI39992.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4d582d.html [accessed 17 May 2023] |
| 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. |
A lawyer in Bujumbura of Burundian origin who is acting director of the International Human Rights Law Group (IHRLG), Burundi branch, provided the following information during a telephone interview on 3 September 2002. The interview was conducted in French.
If a person with refugee status is expelled from Burundi by authorities because of certain reasons such as a criminal record, this person has no chance to return and reside in Burundi.
However, if a refugee leaves Burundi following a change of circumstances in his/her country of origin or for a third country of his/her choice where he/she expects to receive more rights and more protection, this person must apply again for refugee status if he/she decides to return to Burundi.
Regarding the rights attached to refugee status in Burundi, the Burundian lawyer preferred to speak in terms of "privileges" instead of rights. He explained that while refugees have the privilege to study, they do not have, at university level, access to scholarships as Burundian citizens do.
Regarding the right to work, the Burundian lawyer indicated that in the public sector, which is the main employer in the country, refugees can hold a position only when there are no Burundian citizens who are qualified for the job, while in the private sector, employers are bound by law to hire citizens before foreigners, including refugees.
About social services, he noted that there are no free social services available in Burundi. People, including Burundian citizens, have to pay for these services.
Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
International Human Rights Law Group (IHRLG), Burundi branch. 3 September 2002. Telephone interview with a Burundian lawyer and acting director.
Additional Sources Consulted
No response to a 3 September 2002 letter requesting information respectively from the UNHCR's branch officer in Canada and the embassy of Burundi has been received.
Africa Confidential 2002.
Amnesty International. 2002. Annual Report. Electronic Version.
IRB Databases.
Resource Centre country file. Burundi.
Internet sites, including:
Africatime.
Allafrica.
Human Rights Watch (HRW).
International Crisis Group (ICG).
Lawyers For Human Rights.
National Consortium on Refugee Affairs (NCRA).
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (IRIN).
UNHCR.
USCR.
