Young Burundians are heading to Tanzania in the hopes of finding work. But when they arrive, some are accused of being illegal, and are hunted down, arrested, beaten, and imprisoned before being sent back to Burundi. Upon their return, they are often taken in by families in Mabanda, in southern Burundi.
A native of Kayanza in northern Burundi, 23-year-old Habimana Domatien recalls his detention in Kasulu Prison. "We found ourselves surrounded. Four of us were arrested and taken to their station. We were beaten even at night, slapped, and severely mistreated. It was very hard," he says.
Host families are calling on Tanzanian authorities to stop mistreating these young people.
"We ask Tanzania not to mistreat them. Some return traumatized, depressed, and almost beyond recovery. The Tanzanian government should treat our youth well, just as we do when they come to us," says Olive Sindayihebura, a representative of host families.
NGOs report approximately 300 children have been expelled over the past two months.
Ferdinand Simbaruhije, a spokesperson for the National Federation of Associations for Children’s Welfare in Burundi (FENADEB), says, "data from July to September of this year shows 149 children expelled from Tanzania—147 boys and two girls. Additionally, 182 children decided to return on their own. Altogether, this means we’ve identified 291 presumed victims."
According to FENADEB, poverty is what drives the Burundian youth to migrate to Tanzania and other countries in the region. The human trafficking networks involved are reportedly operated by Burundians in collaboration with Tanzanian traffickers.
