On this page, you will find:

To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Burundi LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Belarus country of origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries and relevant documents visit our Burundi COI page. 

Refugee protection

Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Burundi. 

The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Burundi is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.

Burundi is a State party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol but has entered reservations with regard to the right to employment (Article.17), public education (Article. 22) and freedom of movement (Article. 26). Burundi is also a State party to the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems
in Africa. The country signed the 2009 African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (“Kampala Convention”) but has yet to ratify it. Burundi is neither a State party to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, nor to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Law No. 1/32 of November 13, 2008, on Asylum and Protection of Refugees (the 2008 Asylum Law) and two ministerial implementing orders No. 530-442 on asylum application procedures and No. 530-443 on the makeup, structure, and operation of the Advisory Commission for Foreigners and Refugees and the Appeals Committee regulate the status and treatment of refugees in Burundi. The two ministerial directives were issued in April 2009. The 2008 Asylum Law incorporates the fundamental principles and standards of protection, including refugees’ rights to work (Articles 65 and 66), access to public education (primary education), and health care on par with Burundian nationals (Articles 67), as well as freedom of movement and residence (Articles 74). This is true despite reservations expressed upon accession to the 1967 Protocol.

Legal aid organisations

Website 
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Address: 28, Avenue des Etats Unis, Rohero, Bujumbura.
Tel: (+257) 22 24 37 33 or 22 24 93 53
Email: afjuristesbu@yahoo.fr

The Association of Female Lawyers of Burundi offers counselling, legal advice, information on rights, drafting of legal documents, legal support and legal assistance. The Association des Femmes Juristes du Burundi (AFJB) is a vital organization dedicated to promoting and protecting women’s rights in Burundi. Comprised of women legal professionals, the AFJB actively works to combat gender-based discrimination and violence through legal advocacy, empowerment initiatives, and the provision of legal assistance. By raising awareness, advocating for legal reforms, and supporting women in need, the AFJB plays a crucial role in advancing gender equality and creating a more just and inclusive society in Burundi.

Address: Camp de Kinama, Gasorwe, Burundi
Contact person: Mr Swedi Fataki Mutambala, President
Tel: +25 77 94 45 120 or +25 77 91 04 868 or +25 77 94 78 222 or +25 77 91 86 812 or +25 77 93 74 908
Email: addrvcb@yahoo.fr

ADR-Burundi is an organisation set up by refugees to provide representation for and advocate on behalf of refugees who find themselves in Burundi. They work in partnership with other human rights organisations within Burundi and the region to provide assistance to refugees and report on abuses committed against them and their rights.

Current projects include the provision of legal aid, the monitoring of cases of repatriation, countering violence against women and children, monitoring and promoting human rights and freedom of expression, and supporting orphans and vulnerable children.

Website
Address: Rohero 1, 11 Avenue de Grèce, Building ‘Nkamicaniye’, 1st Floor, Bujumbura, Burundi
Tel: +257 22 27 74 88
Email: info@nibitegekaadvocates.bi
Contact Person: Kamariyagwe Nadege

The law firm Nibitegeka is a body of lawyers and consultants who decided to put together their respective expertise to provide clients with high quality work with due professional care. They are based in Burundi and can provide the following services: information and advice on the asylum procedure; orientation according to client needs; research and obtaining of administrative documents; and legal representation of asylum seekers in all courts in the asylum procedure.

Website

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. 

They lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. 

For information about operations in Burundi, please contact the Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

Organisations providing other support to refugees

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Address: Avenue Nzero n°18, B.P. 27 82 Bujumbura, Burundi
Tel.: (00 257) 22 24 16 77 or (00 257) 22 24 63 35
Fax: (00 257) 22 24 16 75
Email: bur@asf.be

The primary goal of Avocats Sans Frontiéres (ASF) is to contribute to the establishment of institutions and mechanisms that allow for access to independent and impartial justice, and which are capable of guaranteeing the protection of fundamental rights (civil and political, economic and social), including the right to a fair trial. ASF implements projects aimed at providing legal advice and assistance in collaboration with national lawyers and for the following categories of beneficiaries: minors, women, detainees, victims of human rights violations and fundamental freedoms. Refugees suffering such violations of their right may seek ASF assistance. In Burundi, it is planning to extend the capacity of its partners to the deal with cases falling under the1951 Convention. In the absence of other sources of such specialized legal aid, refugees are encouraged to contact the ASF office.

Website
Address: No. 7, Avenue de la Mission, BNEC Building, Office No. 8, Bujumbura
Tel: (+257)76337249
Email: ines.nkanira@iphr-ipdh.org
Contact Person: Ines Nkanira (Country Director)

Initiatives for Peace and Human Rights (iPeace) is a non profit organization that works to help communities and individuals in Africa’s Great Lakes Region achieve sustainable peaceful coexistence using human rights and good governance education. iPeace has independently registered organisations in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, which closely collaborate to achieve their shared mission. iPeace provides legal aid to asylum-seekers and refugees in the DRC, Burundi and Rwanda.

Address: 17 Route des Morillons, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland
Tel:+41 22 717 9111
Contact Page

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is part of the United Nations System as the leading inter-governmental organization promoting since 1951 humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all, with 175 member states and a presence in over 100 countries.

IOM works closely with the Government of Burundi (GoB) and other partners to implement a well-coordinated response to the country’s core migration-related challenges.

Website
Address: Avenue de la Mission No. 29, BP 177, Bujumbura
Tel: + 25 72 28 636 or 21 16 23
Address: Euphorbia Avenue No. 4, Bujumbura
Tel: + 25 72 45 639 or 24 56 40
Contact Person: Ndayizeye Joseph
Email: ndayijo@yahoo.fr

Ligue ITEKA was formed in 1991 and was the first human rights organisation to be allowed to operate openly in Burundi. It embraces three key pillars of its work: defense of human rights through monitoring and denunciation of human rights violations, promotion of human rights through education in order to empower individuals to defend their rights, and to place rights issues in the broader political context and to advocate for new laws and strategies to address emerging issues.

Ligue ITEKA has sections operating in all of Burundi’s provinces. It conducts monitoring throughout the country through a network of observers. In addition, it offers direct legal assistance in cases of disappearances, arbitrary detention and other legal proceedings. Ligue ITEKA is also a member of a number of international networks including the African NGO Refugee Protection Network, the Ligue des Droits de la Personne de la région des Grands Lacs (LDGL), the Fédération Internationale des Ligues des Droits de l’Homme (FIDH), and the Union Interafricaine des Droits de l’Homme (UIDH).

The situation of returnees and internally displaced persons is one major focus of Ligue ITEKA. Recognizing that these populations are particularly vulnerable to human rights violations, the organisation makes a particular effort to include them in programming. In addition, Ligue ITEKA runs a project on monitoring repatriation and reintegration of returnees and the displaced. The project seeks to ensure that return occurs in conditions of security and dignity and that the return was durable. Ligue ITEKA offers legal services and advocates for policies that protect the rights of the displaced and returnees and promotes reintegration.

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Burundi Red Cross, also known as BRC was founded in 1963, formed on the basis of the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the 1977 Additional Protocols. It maintains its headquarters in Bujumbura, Burundi.

 

Website
Email: remaministries@yahoo.com

Rema is a Christian NGO, which identifies itself with refugees and other disadvantaged people from/in Burundi. They try to sensitise and mobilise members of the community and especially leaders about the ills harming the community, work with the community to eradicate those ills.

Rema provides social support to meet material needs. They also run Community Based Education on HIV/AIDS among refugees in Tanzania and among returnees and other disadvantaged people in Burundi. We have also started an Orphan Care Training Program for the year 2006 both in Nairobi and in the Tanzanian camps.

Rema has been trying to prepare refugees for repatriation, help them talk over difficult issues with those in Burundi as part of peace building, forgiveness and reconciliation, reconstruction and trauma healing.

Website
Address: Commune Kinindo, Avenue Mumirwa N° 53, PO Box: 1755 Bujumbura
Telephone: +79 944 770
Office: +257 22277496
Email: sapgl1@yahoo.fr sapglburundi@gmail.com

SAP/GL is a non-profit organisation that advocates against torture, helps torture survivors and combat ethnic divides. They identify refugee and returnee victims of torture, gather information on their behalf and assess their needs, provide counselling, psychosocial assistance and medical treatment in their clinic in Bujumbura. They also assist in vocational or technical training and basic micro business skill training (income-generating activities). SAP/GL has a personnel constituency of 36 volunteer workers and compensated staff including lawyers, social workers, nurses, psychologists and a physician/doctor.

Burundi LGBTQI+ Resources

Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Burundi.

Burundi COI

Find Burundi Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents. 

We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.

Last updated May 2023