Migration in Burundi: History, Current Trends and Future Prospects Paper Series: Migration and Development Country Profiles Sonja Fransen sonja.fransen@Maastrichtuniversity.nl Antony Otieno Ong’ayo antony.ongayo@maastrichtuniversity.nl February 2010 Maastricht Graduate School of Governance 1 Source: United Nations Cartographic Section, 2008. 2 Content Abbreviations..........................................................................................5 Acronyms................................................................................................6 List of Tables.......................................................................................... 7 List of Figures ........................................................................................ 7 1. Introduction ........................................................................................8 2. General Country Profile.....................................................................11 2.1 Population ..........................................................................................................................11 2.2 Culture and ethnicity.........................................................................................................12 2.3 Colonial history..................................................................................................................13 2.4 Economic situation...........................................................................................................13 2.5 Political situation ...............................................................................................................15 2.6 History of conflict in Burundi.........................................................................................16 2.7 Health in Burundi..............................................................................................................18 3. Historical Overview of Migration in Burundi ................................. 20 3.1 Migration Patterns in the Great Lakes Region: 1960-2000.........................................20 3.2 International migration from Burundi: 1960-2000.......................................................21 3.2.1 Refugee flows from Burundi....................................................................................21 3.2.2 Main destinations.......................................................................................................22 3.3 Internal migration within Burundi: 1960-2000 .............................................................23 3.3.1 Internal displacement................................................................................................23 3.3.2 Relocation policies.....................................................................................................23 4. Current Migration Patterns .............................................................. 25 4.1 Current regional migration in the Great Lakes Region ...............................................25 4.2 Current international Burundian migration...................................................................26 4.2.1 Burundi as a refugee-sending country ....................................................................26 4.2.2 Burundi as a refugee-hosting country.....................................................................27 4.3 Current Internal Burundian migration...........................................................................28 4.3.1 Internally Displaced Persons in Burundi ...............................................................28 4.3.2 Rural-urban migration...............................................................................................29 5. Burundian Diaspora in the Netherlands ..........................................31 5.1 Tracing the origins ............................................................................................................31 5.2 Burundians in the Netherlands- size and status............................................................34 5.3 Burundi migrants and organisations -Location and organizing..................................36 5.4 Divisions within the diaspora in the Netherlands........................................................38 5.4.1 Diversity in the Burundian community..................................................................38 5.4.2 Minority fighting majority in the diaspora .............................................................39 6. Migration and Development in Burundi ..........................................41 6.1 Brain drain/ skill flow.......................................................................................................42 6.2 Return migration ...............................................................................................................43 6.3 Remittances........................................................................................................................45 6.3.1 Remittances from Burundians in the Netherlands ...............................................46 6.4 The impact of remittances in Burundi...........................................................................47 6.5 International programmes for migration and development .......................................48 7. Policies Regarding Migration ..........................................................51 7.1 Migration policies in Burundi..........................................................................................51 7.2 Burundi Government’s policies towards the diaspora.................................................51 3 7.3 The EU migration policies – implications for Burundi...............................................52 8. Migration Relationship with the Netherlands................................. 54 8.1 General Burundian relationship with the Netherlands................................................54 8.2 Dutch policy towards Burundi........................................................................................55 8.3 An overview of Immigration and Refugee Legislation................................................56 8.4 The Dutch migration policies and legislation- implications for Burundian migrants ....................................................................................................................................................57 9. Future Perspectives on Burundian Migration ................................ 59 10. Conclusion........................................................................................61 Diaspora....................................................................................................................................61 Migration Policies ....................................................................................................................61 Return migration......................................................................................................................62 4 Abbreviations ABASA Burundi African Alliance for the Salvation ACP African Caribbean and Pacific AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome AU African Union AWEPA Association of European Parliamentarians for Africa BCB Banque de Crédit de Bujumbura BIA Burundi in Action (BIA) BINUB United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi BWPD Burundi Women for Peace and Development CBOs Community Based Organisations CBS Central Bureau of Statistics (Netherlands) CORDAID - Catholic Organisation for Relief and Development Aid CNDD Conseil National Pour la Défense de la Démocratie EPA Economic Partnership Agreement EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization (United Nations) FARD FDLR Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda FMR Forced Migration Review FNL National Forces of Liberation FRODEBU Front for Democracy in Burundi FROLINA/FAP Front for the National Liberation of Burundi/Popular Armed Forces GDP Gross Domestic Product GNP Gross National Product HDR Human Development Report HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Country HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus ICDM Intergovernmental Committee on Disaster Management ICG International Crisis Group ICCO Inter-church Organisation for Development Co-operation ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross IDMC Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre IDPs Internally Displace Persons IMF International Monetary Fund IND Immigration and Naturalization Service IOM International Organization for Migration JAES Joint African EU Strategy MDGs Millennium Development Goals MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Dutch) MIDA Migration for Development in Africa MSF Médecins Sans Frontières NCDO National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development NGOs, Non-Governmental Organisations NMI Netherlands Migration Institute OCHA UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ODA Overseas Development Assistance 5 OXFAM - Novib - Dutch Organisation for International Aid PARENA Party for National Redress PCD Policy Coherence for Development PRP People’s Reconciliation Party SCAIDE- Central Africa Integrated Development and Education UN United Nations UNAIDS United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNHCR Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNOCHA United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs UPRONA National Unity and Progress Party WB World Bank WFP World Food Programme WHO