Congolese Refugees Face Detention for Leaving Burundi Camps Without Permits
Ruyigi, 23 February 2026
Dozens of Congolese refugees are detained at Ruyigi police station after attempting to leave their designated camps without proper authorisation. The arrests highlight severe movement restrictions affecting over 100,000 refugees in Burundi’s eastern provinces, where exit permits are issued just three times weekly in limited quantities. Refugees report paying bribes to bypass checkpoints whilst seeking work or family visits, with some attempting dangerous border crossings back to Congo despite ongoing conflict there.
Mass Arrests Highlight Camp Exit Permit System
As of 21 February 2026, several Congolese refugees from the Busuma, Nyankanda, and Bwagiriza camps in Ruyigi district, Buhumuza province, eastern Burundi, are being held in Ruyigi police station cells for leaving their camps without exit permits [1]. The detention of dozens of refugees represents the enforcement of strict movement controls that require authorisation for travel beyond 5 kilometres from designated camps [1]. Exit permits are issued only three times per week in very limited quantities, creating a bottleneck that forces refugees into difficult choices between following regulations and meeting basic survival needs [1]. Angela, a refugee in the Nyankanda camp, explains the impossible situation: ‘Exit permits are issued only three times a week and in very limited quantities. Yet, problems don’t discriminate…some take the risk of leaving anyway’ [1].
Economic Desperation Drives Risk-Taking
The movement restrictions create particular hardship for refugees seeking employment or visiting family members in urban areas. Salima, a refugee in the Busuma camp, describes the catch-22 situation: ‘When we want to go to Bujumbura, the commercial capital, for a family visit or to look for work to feed our families, we are accused of intending to return to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Yet, we are only trying to survive’ [1]. To circumvent the formal permit system, some refugees pay approximately 2,000 Burundi francs to the Imbonerakure to bypass informal checkpoints, though this provides no protection from police arrests [1]. Some of those arrested in Ruyigi were attempting to reach the border to return to the Democratic Republic of Congo, highlighting the desperation driving these unauthorised movements [1].
Rising Tensions and Protest Crackdowns
Frustrations with camp conditions boiled over on 19 February 2026, when refugees in Busuma camp demonstrated demanding a voluntary return corridor to the Democratic Republic of Congo [1]. The demonstration, which had been ongoing since December 2025, was dispersed by police who fired approximately 30 shots into the air, resulting in four arrests [1]. The timing of these protests coincided with a visit from Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, Deputy Global Representative for Protection at UNHCR, to the Busuma camp on the same day [1]. The National Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (ONPRA) maintains that exit permits are necessary for security and administrative monitoring of refugee movements [1].
Overcrowded Camps House Over 100,000 Refugees
The movement restrictions affect a substantial population across Burundi’s eastern provinces. The district of Ruyigi alone hosts over 80,000 refugees across the Nyankanda, Bwagiriza, and Busuma camps, whilst Cankuzo district accommodates over 20,000 refugees at Kavumu camp [1]. In total, Buhumuza province houses over 100,000 Congolese refugees [1]. These figures represent both long-term displaced populations and recent arrivals, including those who fled fighting in December 2025. Living conditions in camps like Cishemere remain inadequate, with refugees reporting overcrowding, poor sanitation, and limited food rations [3]. Freddy Kassim Kashindi, 24, reports that over 100 people are forced to live in shelters designed for 60, compelling them to stand during rainstorms [3]. The situation was highlighted during EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid Hadja Lahbib’s visit to refugees from the Cishemere camp on 19 February 2026 [3].