60 Years of Hosting Refugees: A Tanzanian Narrative

In 2019, Tanzania celebrated sixty years of hosting refugees fleeing conflict and instability from neighbouring countries . These refugee hosting efforts continue to date. Hosting refugees form an integral part of a host country鈥檚 international contributions鈥� particularly its support to citizens of neighbouring countries and its commitments to agreements such as the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1969 OAU Convention. For example, between 2005 and 2014, the Tanzanian government granted Tanzanian citizenship to 162,000 Burundian refugees and 3,000 Somali Bantus. The specifics of these efforts are often not publicized or celebrated. Nor are there significant efforts to draw lessons from these experiences to inspire the next generation of stakeholders responsible for refugee protection and the safeguarding of their rights.

In response to this gap and to preserve this critical history, a locally-inspired and directed project was developed to employ an anthological narrative approach with selected stakeholders in Tanzania鈥檚 refugee program to document and celebrate over half a century of Tanzania鈥檚 refugee protection efforts, while recognizing the important roles played by various stakeholders to make this program possible. Through interviews with key figures, we delve into the significant phases and developments in Tanzania鈥檚 approach to refugee hosting, the role of civil society organizations, and the impact of government policies.

Contributors

Janemary Ruhundwa

Ms Janemary Ruhundwa, the co-founder and currently the Executive Director at DIGNITY Kwanza, has over 13 years of experience in diverse areas, including refugee rights, nationality rights, migration and development, and NGO management. Before founding DIGNITY Kwanza, she served as the Country Director of Asylum Access Tanzania (AATZ), the then national office of Asylum Access, Assistant Protection Officer at UNHCR Tanzania, and An Assistant Lecturer at Tumaini University. She is currently the co-founder and the chair of the Tanzania Refugee and Migration Network (TAREMINET) and a member of the National Anti-Trafficking Committee.

Ms Ruhundwa holds an LLM and LLB from the University of Dar es Salaam, a Diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy from the Center for Foreign Relations, and a Human Rights Certificate from Malmo University (Sweden). She is a Tanganyika Law Society member, an Acumen Fellow 2014, and International Visitors Leadership Program and a TEDxIlala 2015 speaker. Ms Ruhundwa co-authored 鈥淏etween a Rock and Hard Place 鈥� Urban Refugees in Tanzania鈥� (published in the Africa law Today, Vol. 4, Issue 1 (2012)), and speaks in various national and international forums and provided opinions on issues on refugees, migration and statelessness in Tanzania. Ms Ruhundwa was also a lead counsel in the landmark case on citizenship rights.

Khoti Kamanga

Professor Khoti Kamanga discusses the role of institutions of higher learning in the Tanzanian narrative on refugees. He argues that these institutions help to establish knowledge, disseminate it, and foster a review and amending of existing laws, thereby bringing for instance, the legal framework and structures of hosting refugees into focus. The 2003 National Refugee Policy (NRP), he contends, is overdue for a review, particularly after a noticeable change in the country鈥檚 approach to refugee matters. Viewers are taken through important historical developments in the Great Lakes region, such as the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and the eventual 1995 establishment of the Center for the Study of Forced Migrations, where he served with distinction. Through the academia鈥檚 role, the Tanzanian government realized the apparent legislative/regulatory vacuum in hosting refugees, particularly in the ensuing forced migration of approximately one million refugees into Tanzania’s northwestern territories. In the ensuing collaboration, a tripartite refugee regulatory framework involving the host government, international organizations, and Tanzanian academia was birthed.

Mark Leveri

Mark Leveri, former Director of the Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service (TCRS), recounts the organization’s pioneering role in Tanzanian refugee operations since its 1964 founding. This period coincided with prolonged unrest in the Great Lakes region, leading to significant refugee flows into newly independent Tanganyika. Early responses were sporadic, involving aid from the local Lutheran Church, the Red Cross, host communities, and other faith-based organizations. Following an invitation from the newly independent Tanzanian government to the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the LWF’s Department of World Service formalized refugee operations, with TCRS playing a central role.

Leveri describes the initial development of refugee settlements in southern and north-western Tanzania, culminating in large-scale refugee encampments following the 1994 Rwandan genocide and its subsequent major influx of refugees; this followed earlier arrivals (1993) of Burundian and Congolese refugees. He also highlights TCRS’s evolution from an expatriate-led organization to a mature, locally-run entity, marked by the appointment of the first Tanzanian Executive Director in 2005.

Uwezo Ramazani

In this video, Uwezo Ramazani, from the DRC, shares his lived experience as a refugee in Tanzania. A refugee in Tanzania in 1999, his captivating story traces his refuge at the Nyarugusu camp and the challenges of accessing Tanzanian secondary school education, and being awarded two scholarships – one, a NAF scholarship to pursue a degree program, and another a scholarship to pursue a Master’s program, all in Tanzania. Ramazani also discusses the grey areas of Tanzania’s refugee hosting record which is based on the policy of “encampment” and lays bare the legal restrictions placed on refugee movements in and out of camp, together with its latent obstructions preventing an easier integration and access of the Tanzanian job market. Nonetheless, in his estimation, the Tanzanian refugee experience is notable for its welcoming warmth, its former provision of parcels of farmlands to refugees, and its educational opportunities for refugees. In an effort to partner international humanitarian organizations, Ramazani highlights individual and refugee group initiatives to provide among others, educational and food services at the Nyarugusu camp.

Tujilane Rose Chizumila

In this video, Judge Chizumila, a former Malawian refugee in Tanzania, shares the story of becoming a refugee, following the infamous Malawian 鈥淐abinet Crises鈥� of 1964, and the uplifting narrative of her transition into an accomplished product of Tanzania’s refugee hosting record, overcoming personal strife and institutionalized gendered obstacles. Her story celebrates Malawian excellence and years of dedicated service to local and international humanitarian agencies. Judge Chizumila discusses the education of refugees in Tanzania and a scholarship for further studies in Germany; her professional growth as a returnee to the Malawian civil service as a state attorney; her humanitarian works with Save the Children U.S.-Federation, UNHCR; and her private legal profession. The grace-to-grass-to-grace story features many trailblazing firsts for female and gender rights advocacy in Malawi: her appointments as Ambassador to Zimbabwe and the South African Development Corporation (SADC); Judge of the Malawian High Court; first female Ombudsman for Malawi; and post-retirement consecutive appointments as Judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Simon Joseph Andrea

Simon Joseph Andrea is the caretaker of the Tengeru cemetery in Tanzania, a site of historical significance that commemorates the Polish refugees who found sanctuary there during World War II. He took over this responsibility from his late father, Mr. Joseph Andrea, who dedicated 32 years to maintaining the graves and preserving the legacy of the Polish refugee community in Tanzania. Simon continues this work, serving as a curator for the many visitors and pilgrims who come annually to pay their respects. His efforts are supported by the Polish Embassy and the donations of those who visit this unique historic site of Eastern Europe in the heart of Africa.

In the interview, Simon Joseph Andrea recounts the history of Tengeru Refugee Camp in Tanzania, which served as a sanctuary for almost 5,000 Polish refugees during the World War II. The interview contributes to the less known narratives of displacement of European refugees in Africa.

In 2001, Simon Joseph Andrea took over responsibility of preserving the camp鈥檚 legacy from his father. Andrea shares details of daily life at the camp, diseases that led to many deaths, and the experiences of those who remained in Tanzania after the camp鈥檚 closure in 1952. He also discusses the interactions between the refugees and the local community, the role of international support, and the camp鈥檚 later conversion into an agricultural institute. Additionally, he highlights the ongoing Polish Aid Project which continues to preserve the camp’s cultural heritage.

Relevant Resources

Share: ,
Short URL: /lerrn/?p=9071