Tanzania warns return of hundreds of Burundian refugees is just the start

Burundians who fled political violence at home complain of pressure tactics as 600 people are repatriated voluntarily

Nearly 600 people who fled political violence in Burundi have been repatriated voluntarily from Tanzania amid warnings from the country that it plans to return all Burundians taking refuge there, willing or not.

The UN refugee agency, the UNHCR, announced the return last week, saying that about 590 Burundian refugees had left Tanzania in buses for Gisuru, in eastern Burundi, where there is a transit centre for returning refugees, witnesses said.