Young Burundians are fleeing to Tanzania in search of work, but many face harsh treatment upon arrival. Accused of being illegal migrants, they are often hunted down, arrested, beaten, and imprisoned before being deported back to Burundi. Once home, many are taken in by families in Mabanda, southern Burundi.
Habimana Domatien, a 23-year-old from Kayanza in northern Burundi, recalls his traumatic experience in Kasulu Prison. “We were surrounded, arrested, and taken to a station. We were beaten at night, slapped, and severely mistreated. It was very hard,” he says.
Host families in Burundi are calling on Tanzanian authorities to stop the mistreatment of these young migrants. “We ask Tanzania not to harm them. Some return traumatized, depressed, and almost beyond recovery. The Tanzanian government should treat our youth with kindness, as we do when they come to us,” says Olive Sindayihebura, a representative of host families.
NGOs report that around 300 children have been expelled from Tanzania in the past two months. Ferdinand Simbaruhije, spokesperson for the National Federation of Associations for Children’s Welfare in Burundi (FENADEB), states that between July and September of this year, 149 children were expelled—147 boys and two girls. An additional 182 children returned voluntarily, bringing the total to 291.
FENADEB attributes the migration of Burundian youth to widespread poverty, with many falling prey to human trafficking networks operated by Burundians in collaboration with Tanzanian traffickers.