Author(s)

Pamphile Mpabansi

Doctoral School, University of Burundi, Bujumbura, Burundi.

Our research aims to analyze the way in which Congolese refugees in Burundi live on a daily basis and apprehend solutions to their situation of exile. Burundi began to welcome refugees during the colonial period in 1959. These were Rwandan refugees who fled the massacres in their country. Since then, the reception of refugees has never ceased and Burundi currently has 84,961 refugees, most of whom come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is the largest number of people received if we look at the area of Burundi and its population. These refugees come from the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are fleeing the insecurity caused by the armed groups that abound there. There are approximately 120 armed groups in the provinces of North and South Kivu alone. Since these refugees do not foresee returning home, most of them are looking towards resettlement. This research is thus devoted to the analysis of the current life of these refugees and the way they apprehend the durable solutions recommended to them. At the methodological level, field visits were conducted in the five refugee camps in Burundi and a total of 90 interviews were carried out. This sample takes into account gender, social status, degree of vulnerability and seniority. The analysis of these interviews led to the understanding that the life in the camps implies many difficulties. This is how most of them opt for resettlement in developed countries, which they perceive the only hope for their future.

Refugee Camp, Durable Solutions, Resettlement, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mpabansi, P. (2023) Congolese Refugees in Burundi: Challenges and Future Prospects. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 11, 284-307. doi: 10.4236/jss.2023.114021.