Another Over 3,000 Burundians Seek Refuge in Rwanda As of the end of 2024, Rwanda is hosting more than 3,400 new Burundians who have crossed the border seeking safety, protection, and better living conditions, according to fresh data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The figure represents the latest wave of migration from Burundi into Rwanda, bringing renewed attention to the plight of displaced populations in the region.
The UNHCR database shows that 3,403 Burundians have arrived in Rwanda this year alone.
Among them, 1,251 have officially been registered as refugees, while 32 are still awaiting decisions on their asylum applications.
The remaining 2,120 individuals are listed as “people of concern”—a category used by the UNHCR to refer to persons who have not yet been granted formal refugee or asylum status, but who still require protection and humanitarian assistance.
The Burundian refugee crisis began to escalate sharply from 2014 onwards, when an internal political crisis threatened to tear the country apart.
What started as unrest over a contested presidential bid quickly deepened into violence and widespread instability.
Thousands of Burundians fled to neighboring countries, including Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. Rwanda alone received over 80,000 Burundians at the height of the crisis.
Over the years, as the situation in Burundi has shown signs of improvement, some refugees have chosen to return home voluntarily. However, many continue to arrive in Rwanda, seeking a safe place to live, free from fear and insecurity.
This year’s numbers indicate a subtle but steady increase in the Burundian refugee population in Rwanda. In 2023, there were 48,346 Burundian refugees in the country, and this number has risen to 49,597 in 2024.
While the growth may seem modest, it reflects a continuing trend of Burundians seeking safety across the border, even as regional diplomacy and repatriation efforts persist. Rwanda has a long-standing tradition of hosting refugees, and Burundians form one of the largest refugee populations in the country.
Most are accommodated in camps such as Mahama in the Eastern Province, which remains Rwanda’s largest refugee settlement.
The camp, and others like it, are supported by both government and international agencies, providing basic services such as shelter, food, education, and healthcare. However, the rise in the “people of concern” category points to challenges in processing refugee claims and the slow pace of formal integration.
These individuals often live in limbo—unable to return home due to insecurity, but also not officially recognized as refugees. Without documentation, their access to critical services can be limited, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and hardship.
Observers note that the consistent arrival of Burundians is linked to underlying political and socio-economic instability in Burundi, where episodes of unrest, poverty, and human rights concerns have continued to push people to flee.
Though not always visible on the global stage, these push factors remain persistent. As the region works towards long-term stability, humanitarian organizations are urging more support for host countries like Rwanda, whose resources are stretched thin.
The latest figures are not just numbers; they represent thousands of lives uprooted by fear and uncertainty—lives that now hang in the balance of international solidarity and domestic resilience.
