The people and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, especially in Kigoma Region, have set a global example in welcoming refugees for decades including around 240,000 refugees and asylum seekers currently living in two refugee camps, and urban settlements – more than 85 percent of them women and children.

Today, we, the donor community, join refugees and asylum seekers, the people and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and partners to commemorate World Refugee Day, to remind the world of the situation of refugees and asylum seekers in Tanzania.

Although notable progress has been made on numerous fronts, refugees and asylum seekers in Tanzania remain fully dependent on humanitarian assistance in terms of shelter, food, health services, water and sanitation, and the response is critically underfunded.

We express our deep gratitude to the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania for its hospitality to asylum-seekers fleeing horrific violence from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has allowed over 14,000 Congolese individuals last year to find safety and receive life-saving assistance in the country. We call on the Tanzanian Government to apply a prima facie approach to refugee status determination for asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of Congo where the situation in the eastern region remains volatile, which will enable UNHCR and partners to seek durable solutions for this population.

A coordinated and careful approach to refugee issues across the Great Lakes region is a critical element of promoting peace, in which Tanzania plays a constructive leadership role. We recognize the importance of support from the international community for return and reintegration activities in Burundi to ensure the sustainability of returns and underline the criticality of ensuring the voluntariness of the repatriation in safety and dignity. We remain committed to support Tanzania with alternate solutions such as resettlement, family reunification, and education sponsorship, for those who are not able to return home due to various reasons.

Education is part of refugee solutions. It is also a basic human right. Refugees with skills will not only be able to fend for themselves back home, but also are less vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups, hence contributing to security and stability in the region. In this regard, we strongly advocate for quality education in the camps in the curriculum of Tanzania as is the standard practice globally that refugees attain education in curriculums of host countries.

Not only are we supporting refugees in Tanzania, the donor community through UNHCR in coordination with other UN agencies, and humanitarian and development partners has also been extending support in many ways to the Tanzanian communities living in Kigoma Region. Together we have provided livelihoods support through vocational training, strengthened health and nutrition services, and reforested and rehabilitated degraded land – trees have been planted in over 11,000 acres of deforested land in the camps and the host communities since 2016. Continued and extended support for Tanzanians living in the area is needed. The generosity of host communities is essential and valued.

Our governments remain committed to supporting to the best of our capacity the Government of Tanzania to provide protection and assistance to refugee populations. We stand with refugees in their time of need, as part of our shared humanity.

H.E. Peter HUYGHEBAERT, Ambassador, Kingdom of Belgium

H.E. Kyle NUNAS, High Commissioner, Canada

H.E. Christine GRAU, Ambassador, European Union Delegation

H.E. Nabil HAJLAOUI, Ambassador, France

H.E. Thomas TERSTEGEN, Ambassador, Federal Republic of Germany

H.E. Mary O’NEILL, Ambassador, Republic of Ireland

H.E. Yasushi MISAWA, Ambassador, Japan

H.E. Wiebe DE BOER, Ambassador, Kingdom of the Netherlands

H.E. Tone TINNES, Ambassador, Kingdom of Norway

H.E. Didier CHASSOT, Ambassador, Swiss Confederation

H.E. David CONCAR, High Commissioner, United Kingdom

H.E. Dr. Michael A. BATTLE, Ambassador, United States of America

Joint Donor Statement on World Refugee Day 2024  (PDF, 2 Pages, 439.2 kB, English)