Tanzania: Stranded Tanzanians Return Home From SA

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The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)

20 June 2008
Posted to the web 20 June 2008

Noela Oyugah

A total of 164 Tanzanians who were stranded in refugee camps following last month's deadly xenophobia attacks were expected to return home by yesterday afternoon.

They are part of 238 Tanzanians who were internally displaced in last month's xenophobia attacks that killed about 50 people in South Africa. The attacks also left about 30,000 people homeless. The minister for Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Mr Bernard Membe, said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the Tanzanians had departed Johannesburg on June 16 and were expected in the country later in the day.

"Immigration officers and the police at the Tunduma border are ready to receive them and ensure their safety when they arrive", said Mr Membe. He explained that their destination would be determined on arrival at the Tunduma border from where they would all be taken to their homes.

Relevant Links East Africa Southern Africa Conflict, Peace and Security Migration Refugees and Displacement South Africa Tanzania

He said a proper screening had been done by the Tanzanian embassy with the help of the South African government to confirm the nationality and appropriateness of Tanzanians chosen to return home. The deputy permanent secretary in the ministry, Mr Charles Sanga, last week said 35 Tanzanians had been displaced in Cape Town and 83 in Johannesburg.

Over 200 Tanzanians were reported to have sought refuge in camps after the violence in South Africa two weeks ago, and 90 were displaced. Mr Sanga had said that he was going to investigate on the victims' backgrounds before sending them home. The violence had by then claimed the lives of 62 people. A total of 35,000 others had sought refuge in churches and police stations.

However, the South African government had already opened official camps to accommodate the displaced. Countries like Kenya, Zimbabwe and Mozambique started receiving their people from the attacks two weeks ago.

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