THE government is finalising physical verification of Burundi refugees before naturalising them, the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Hamad Yusuf Masauni, told the National Assembly here.
He was responding to a basic question by
Mr Richard Mbogo (Nsimbo-CCM), when he added that the government was
conducting the exercise jointly with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Mr Masauni pointed out that they were
expecting by the end of this year, the exercise would be completed to
enable the process of issuing the citizenship to refugees who would
qualify as per requirement of the law.
In the question, Mr Mbogo sought to know
when the government would implement the president’s promise of giving
citizenship to refugees who have remained at Katumba, Mushamo and
Ulyankulu camps.
The lawmaker stated that in 2009, the
government issued citizenship to Burundian refugees who entered the
country in 1992 and others who were born at the said camps.
He also wanted to know when the
government would cancel refugee status at Katumba camp to avoid
contradiction to Refugee Act No. 20 that prohibits the assembly of more
than five people.
In his response, however, the deputy
minister made some minor corrections to the questions with the effect
that it was true the government issued citizenship to Burundian
refugees, who entered the country in 1972 and not 1992.
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