At least 115 Burundian refugees were repatriated from Rwanda on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, in the latest voluntary return effort coordinated through the Nemba One-Stop Border Post linking the two countries.
The group included 107 residents of Mahama refugee camp in Kirehe District, along with eight others who had been living in Kigali. Many had spent nearly a decade in Rwanda after fleeing political unrest in Burundi ten years ago.
According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the latest returns come amid a continued slowdown in organised repatriation, with a shrinking number of Burundian refugees willing to go back home. Officials say many families remain concerned about reintegration conditions and reports of insecurity in some parts of Burundi.
Only 178 BuruUNndian refugees expressed interest in returning in 2024, a steep drop compared to previous years. Of these, 125 were supported through organised movements, while 53 made the journey independently.
UNHCR also noted that no organised returns were recorded in the early months of 2024, marking the lowest level since the voluntary repatriation programme began in 2020. More than 30,700 Burundian refugees have returned home through the programme since its launch.
Rwanda currently hosts at least 50,000 Burundian refugees, most of them in Mahama camp in Eastern Province, with the remainder living in urban areas.
