Kigali, October 26, 2016: - The Government of Rwanda has been lauded for its generosity of hosting Burundian and Congolese refugees. Dr. Volker Türk, the UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner (Protection) noted this while addressing Government and UNHCR officials at the High Level Bilateral Consultation Meeting on Refugees in Rwanda.

Turk expressed gratitude to the Rwandan leadership and her people for taking care of refugees and promised continued UNHCR collaboration in areas of health, education and welfare of refugees. “We are looking at whatever we can do in order to find solutions for refugees. We still have Congolese refugees in the country, we have Burundian refugees in the country, and we hope very much that we can work with all of you to find a solution. We know that keeping people in exile is not going to be the solution,” he said.

Hon. Mukantabana Seraphine, the Minister of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs said that Rwanda currently hosts 85, 000 Burundian refugees who should be seen as refugees and nothing else. “This meeting is a good opportunity to clear rumours about Burundian refugees joining the army or attacking their country. Those who make these allegations want to suggest that Burundian refugees don’t deserve protection and we are against it. People need to know that refugees are refugees and they can’t be something else,” she said.

The meeting also discussed the Comprehensive Solutions Strategy where Rwanda committed to support Rwandan refugees returning home in various areas such as health care, basic education and issuance of national IDs to bring an orderly and humane closure to the protracted situation of Rwandan refugees who fled their country before 31 December 1998.