Refugees

Tanzania is prone to refugee influxes, often of long duration. The UN is currently assisting 98,000 refugees in two camps in northwest Tanzania and vulnerable host communities. The country's geographical proximity to the strife-torn Congo Basin is responsible in part for the repeated refugee influxes.Tanzania was also an early signatory in the region of key international instruments on the rights and welfare of refugees and asylum seekers. In recent years, the government's focus has been on finding durable solutions to long-standing refugee settlement in the country, particularly voluntary repatriation to the country of origin, resettlement to third countries for camp-based refugees, as well as legal naturalization and local socioeconomic integration for some 170,000 settlements based former Burundian refugees residing in Tanzania since 1972. Migrants and asylum seekers experience challenges in accessing legal support and assistance.