Rwandan refugees refuse to return home

According to the director of Mozambique’s National Institute of Support to Refugees, Marcos Namashulua, there have been no formal requests for repatriation from Rwandan refugees.

Mozambique hosts 1,242 Rwandan refugees, of whom: 663 live in Maputo; 446 are in Maratane in the northern province of Nampula; 130 live in the city of Nampula; two are in Gaza province; and one is in Niassa province.

Most sought asylum in Mozambique during the 1990’s due to persecution in their homeland.

However, attempts are now underway to persuade the refugees that it is safe to return home. Recently, a delegation from the Rwandan government, led by the Minister of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, Marcel Gatsinzi, visited Mozambique to meet with the refugees.

According to Marcos Namashulua, the Rwandan refugees do not believe that their country is safe, nor do they trust the intentions of their government.

As a result, few attended the meetings with the Rwandan government officials. Namashulua lamented “many did not go to the meetings with the Rwandan government delegation, despite knowing about them. When the delegation went to Maratane, where more than 400 refugees live, only 20 attended the meeting. The refugees do not have confidence in the government”.

The Rwandan government said that it is willing to receive the return of its citizens who are in Mozambique as refugees, and has invited them to visit the country to see the conditions in place for them to return permanently and reintegrate.

The Mozambican government has given assurances that the refugees can return if they conclude that the conditions are not in place for a permanent move back to Rwanda.

The Rwandan government has stated that it wants its citizens in Mozambique to stop being classified as refugees, and wants them to be known as immigrants. It therefore proposes to grant them passports.

Despite this offer, the Mozambican government has made clear its continued compliance with the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the status of refugees, in particular the commitment not to repatriate refugees against their will.