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Members of the Congolese Banyamulenge community recently arrested by police in Burundi are not refugees officially recognised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the agency's representative in Burundi, Stefano Severe, told IRIN on Thursday.
Confirming that there had been arrests of some Congolese Banyamulenge, he noted that after investigations and contacts with Burundian authorities, it was established that those involved were not recognised refugees.
The Burundi news agency Net Press on Monday reported that the Banyamulenge community had organised a protest outside the UNHCR office in the capital, Bujumbura, to protest against frequent abductions taking place in their refugee camps located in the Ngagara zone, in the north of Bujumbura. They demanded to be given protection by UNHCR.
Severe confirmed that there had been protests on the part of the Banyamulenge refugees in solidarity with the those who had been arrested. He said the agency had requested the authorities grant it access to those in custody. "We want to ensure that they get fair treatment and that they are not expelled. UNHCR is following up on this," he said.
"We advise the refugees to abide by the laws of the land and not to engage in activities that could be considered subversive by the authorities," he added.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
