The Parliament of Tanzania and LERRN proudly congratulate Dr. Deo Osmund Mwapingwa on his appointment as Secretary General of the Forum of Parliaments of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (FP-ICGLR). His appointment was confirmed during the 15th General Assembly held on April 25, 2025, in Luanda, Angola.

Deo Mwapinga completed his doctoral study at the Department of Political Science at 杏吧原创 University under the supervision of Dr. James Milner. Deo also has been an invaluable contributor to the LERRN Tanzania working group. Prior to arriving in Canada for his doctorate, Dr. Mwapinga served as a government official in the Government of Tanzania working with Burundian refugees in Katumba and Mishamo settlements in Tanzania from 2012 to 2017.

With the average duration of a refugee situation now lasting over 20 years, Mwapinga’s PhD research aims to take up the global challenge of finding durable solutions for refugees. His research dives into the complex politics of refugee solutions with a particular focus on naturalization processes. The case of Tanzania is particularly interesting, as it has granted citizenship to large groups of refugees twice 鈥� Rwandese refugees in the 1980s and Burundian refugees in the 2010s. In his dissertation, Mwapinga proposes advancing the understanding of local integration as a triad by introducing the concept of 鈥渜uasi-citizenship鈥� to capture the transitional state of citizenship for ex-Barundi refugees.

We, as the LERRN team, are excited to see the impact of Mwapinga鈥檚 work will have in shaping future discussions in the forced migration field and refugee policies.

]]> /lerrn/2023/event-report-the-politics-of-solutions-for-refugees-lessons-from-the-naturalization-of-rwandese-and-burundian-refugees-in-tanzania/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=event-report-the-politics-of-solutions-for-refugees-lessons-from-the-naturalization-of-rwandese-and-burundian-refugees-in-tanzania Wed, 25 Oct 2023 12:31:38 +0000 /lerrn/?p=7464 Available in 贵谤补苍肠抬补颈蝉

The first event of the 2023-2024 MDS Speaker Series took place on Monday, September 25th, featuring Deo Mwapinga, a Doctorate Candidate in the Department of Political Sciences at 杏吧原创 University. Deo is currently a researcher with the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN) and a contributor to the LERRN Tanzania Working Group. The event, held at Richcraft Hall, focused on Mwapinga’s dissertation titled “The politics of solutions for refugees: Lessons from the naturalization of Rwandese and Burundian Refugees in Tanzania.”

Description: Georgiana Ghitau and Deo Mwapinga discussing his research outside the Canal Building at 杏吧原创 University. Photo credit: Jarukson Jeevakumar and Beatrice Marie Villadelgado

Mwapinga’s research addresses the global challenge of finding solutions for refugees, with the average duration of a refugee situation now lasting 20 years. He highlighted the three traditional solutions for refugees: repatriation, resettlement in a third country, and integration in the host country. The case of Tanzania is particularly interesting, as it has granted citizenship to large groups of refugees twice – Rwandese refugees in the 1980s and Burundian refugees in the 2010s.

The presentation aimed to explore why the experience of naturalized Rwandese refugees in Tanzania has been perceived as more successful compared to that of naturalized Burundian refugees. Mwapinga drew on recent fieldwork in Tanzania and his own experience as a former Tanzanian government official to provide insights into this variation.

During the event, Mwapinga discussed the formal introduction of citizenship to ex-refugees in a post-democratization era and the new areas of contestation it has created. He argued that the politics of naturalization should not be limited to the dichotomy of de facto (the practical/factual recognition of an individual as a citizen, regardless of their legal status, even if they do not possess formal citizenship documents) and de jure (the legal recognition of an individual as a citizen according to the laws and regulations of a country) citizenship. Instead, he proposed advancing the understanding of local integration as a triad and introducing the concept of “quasi-citizenship” to capture the transitional state of citizenship for ex-Barundi refugees.

Mwapinga brings a unique perspective to his study. His involvement in the issuance of citizenship certificates to former Burundian refugees in 2014 sparked his interest in studying the impact of their new legal status on their daily lives. His research project explores the relationship between their citizenship status, membership in the political community, and the perception of (in)security resulting from out-groups.

Overall, the event provided valuable insights into the politics of solutions for refugees and the complexities of naturalization processes. Mwapinga’s research contributes to the understanding of local integration and challenges the conventional understanding of naturalization as a durable solution for refugees. The audience gained a deeper understanding of the dynamics and implications of citizenship for refugees in Tanzania and beyond.听

This report was prepared by Georgiana Ghitau, LERRN Knowledge Mobilization and Translation Officer.

Watch the video below!