Tanzania has granted citizenship to 162,000 Burundian refugees who fled ethnic violence in 1972. Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, on Friday hailed the move as “the most generous naturalisation of refugees anywhere”.
Story here. Would be nice for this to be the norm not the exception.
3 Responses
It is a commendable move by the Tanzanian government and deserves a higher profile. But we should be clear: any of those granted citizenship were born in Tanzania. So citizenship hasn’t been given to 162,000 who fled Burundi. Some of them did, many didn’t. Nevertheless, it is an example to be emulated.
One of them, a young guy born here, cut in front of me in the bank queue the other week. He was with a large group of his fellows. We got into conversation as they waited to cash their final UNHCR cheques.
Hear, hear!
I think perhaps the problem is that those with papers never know what it’s like not to have them, let alone to lose your home, or suffer as so many refugees do. Wouldn’t it be extraordinary if more leaders could change places for just 24 hours with the displaced people whom they so often turn away.