Burundi Refugees Repatriated Home

   DODOMA, Tanzania (AP) - The U.N. refugee agency has started repatriating hundreds of Burundian refugees back home from neighboring Tanzania.

   Emmanuel Maganga, government commissioner for the Kigoma region in northwestern Tanzania, said 300 refugees returned home Thursday using public transport.

   At least 12,000 Burundian refugees have signed up for voluntary repatriation. Maganga said the initial agreement with U.N. officials says 300 Burundians will be repatriated every week.

   More than 240,000 Burundian refugees are sheltering in Tanzania. Most of them fled political violence in 2015 after President Pierre Nkurunziza announced plans to seek a disputed third term that he ultimately won.

   Tanzania's government has been putting pressure on UNHCR to facilitate the repatriation of those refugees who want to return home.

   Burundi's government says the country is now peaceful.

Watanzania - Wakimbizi Ulaya!

 

Malazi ya Wakimbizi huko Ujerumani

Nimepata kwa E-Mail:

 Hivi karibuni nilikuwa safarini Nchini Ujerumani. Na moja ya mambo niliyoyakuta ni kwamba siku hizi nchini humo kumefunguliwa makambi sehemu mbali mbali ya wakimbizi. Wengi wao ni kutoka nchi za Afrika. Nadhani mnasikia mara kwa mara kuhusu wakimbizi hawa ambao huenda Ulaya kwa njia ya hatari ya Meli. Wengi hufa bahari kwa hali mbaya ya hewa au hata kwa kutoswa.

Nchini Ujerumani nilikuwa katika Jiji la Munich. Nilibahatika kuona moja ya kambi hiyo, ila kwa bahati mbaya sikuruhusiwa kuingia. Niliambiwa kadiri ya orodha yao kuna WATANZINIA WAWILI. Nilipopata habari hiyo nilishituka sana. Hata aliyenipa habari hiyo aliona sikuwa tena katika hali ya kawaida. Ndipo akaniuliza nchini kwenu kuna matatizo gani hata watu wakimbie huko? Hakika sikuwa na jibu. Sababu za ukimbizi nchini mwako zinaweza kuwa za Kisiasa, yaani kutokana na utawala mbovu watu wanaamua kukimbia kuokoa maisha yao. Au hali hali nyingine yoyote inayohatarisha maisha. Mimi ninajiuliza nchini Tanzania kuna hali gani ya kuhatarisha maisha ya watu hadi wakimbie wakaishi kwenye makambi Ugaibuni? Hakika nilisikitika sana.

Ila kwa vyovyote wanazo sababu zao za kimsingi kukimbia na hata kujiorodhesha kama wakimbizi. Wito wangu kwa vijana; hakika wengi wanadhania Ulaya ni sehemu poa. Kuna fedha za kumwaga na maisha huko ni rahisi. Kiukweli ni kujidanganya. Hapa Tanzania unaweza kwenda sokoni ukaokota hata matunda au mbogamboga ukaponea. Ukafanya kibarua chochote kitu hata kufanya usafi kwenye zizi au bustanini au hata kuiba kwa wale wenye ujuzi huo. Kwa wenzetu hayo hayapo. Hakuna cha kibarua. Hakuna mazingira unayoweza kuiba kirahisi. Kila duka na soko kuna makamera. Hali ya hewa ni mbaya. Muda mwingi katika mwaka ni baridi kali. nk. Witoa kwa vijana kama unataka kuteseka maisha yako yote kimbilia Ulaya.

Walioko kule wako makambini. Hawaruhusiwi kusafiri, hawaruhusiwi kufanya kazi ila wanafugwa tu kwa kupatiwa chakula na mahitaji mengine ili waishi. Wanangoja ufanyike utaratibu wa kurejeshwa makwao. Je huko si kupoteza muda na kuhatarisha maisha zaidi. Kinachoniuma zaidi ni je, hapa Tanzania kuna mazingira gani magumu kiasi hicho hata wajiorodheshe kuwa wakimbizi? Kama kuna mwenye maelezo ya sababu ningeshukuru.

K

Liberian Refugees in USA get Extension

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Rhode Island U.S. Sen. Jack Reed is praising President Barack Obama's decision to grant Liberian refugees an 18-month extension of their U.S. residency, but says the time has come to give refugees permanent status in their new nation.

Reed says Obama's move to let Liberian refugees stay in the U.S. until Sept. 30, 2014, is good news for the many Liberians living and working in Rhode Island. The Democrat is the author of legislation that would give refugees a path to U.S. citizenship.

 Reed says it's wrong to force thousands of Liberians who fled their nation's civil war to face constant uncertainty because the policy allowing them to live in the U.S. must be regularly renewed.

Rhode Island is home to one of the largest Liberian communities in the nation.

Harry Fear Speaking Tour Schedule - Gaza's Ark

Reporting on Israeli aggression against Gaza - Speaking tour January 7-12, 2013


Greetings to all supporters of the Canadian Boat to Gaza for 2013, the year when we plan to sail Gaza's Ark to challenge the blockade from the inside out, with your support. To find out more about Gaza's Ark and how you can support our work, please see http://www.GazaArk.org

The Canadian Boat to Gaza is pleased to co-sponsor a Canadian tour this week by Harry Fear, an independent journalist, documentary maker and activist from the UK. Harry was witness to the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians of Gaza during Operation Pillar of Cloud in November 2012. Harry will be appearing in six Canadian venues in early January following a successful talking tour in Germany.

Website: http://www.harryfear.co.uk

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/harryfear

Twitter: @harryfear

Harry's schedule this week in Ontario and Alberta is as follows (for more details check Facebook event page or http://www.gazaark.org/events):

Jan 7 Guelph, ON

7:00 - 9:00 PM

40 Baker Street

Co-host: OPIRG U of Guelph

Event page: http://on.fb.me/TIMRrF



Jan 8 Toronto, ON

2:00 - 5:00 PM

University of Toronto Mississauga

Co-hosts: SAIA U of T & UTM
TSJP UTSC
SJP Ryerson U
SAIA York U

Event page: http://on.fb.me/UkmuGP


Jan 9 Hamilton, ON

7:00 PM Talk

Co-host: SPHR McMaster U

Event page: http://on.fb.me/ZUkFZ0


Jan 10 London, ON

7:00 PM

Co-host: Western U SPHR


Jan 11 Windsor, ON

7:00 PM

Co-host: PSG U of Windsor

Event page: http://on.fb.me/ZVNm7U



Jan 12 Calgary, Alberta

Co-host: SPHR U of Calgary

Event page: http://on.fb.me/10QRBRz


For updates and more information, please see: http://www.harryfear.co.uk/blog/gaza-report/reporting-aggression-tour

WaRundi wafa katika Ajali ya gari Arizona

Mwanzo walikuwa wanasema kuwa ni watalii kutoka Tanzania waliokufa katika katika hiyo ajali. Sasa wanasema kuwa ni wakimbizi kutoka Burundi waliokuwa wanatafuta kazi. Poleni ndugu na marafiki wa marehemu.

Habari zinasema kuwa watano wamekufa na 12 kujeruhiwa.

************************************************

Van rolls in Arizona, 5 dead, 12 injured

TUCSON, Arizona (AP) —
Five people were killed and 12 others were injured on Wednesday when a van loaded with Burundian refugees seeking work crashed on an Arizona highway.

The driver of the large van lost control about 50 miles east of Tucson, according to Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Officer Robert Bailey.

The director of a relief agency in Tucson said the passengers were Burundians who had fled to a Tanzanian refugee camp before having relocated to Tucson. Jean Spinelli, a spokeswoman at University Medical Center, said six of the 11 people brought in from the crash were listed in critical condition and the other five in serious condition.

The group was seeking work at Eurofresh Inc., a hydroponics vegetable grower in Willcox, Arizona, said Ken Briggs, executive director of the International Rescue Committee's Tucson office.

Eurofresh has become a major southern Arizona employer of refugees seeking to become self-sufficient.

Briggs said his staff was working to try to assist the hospitals and the families involved. He said the Burundians had been living in Tucson for a few years. The IRC, which has 24 regional offices in the United States, helps refugees resettle and become self-sufficient.

It also helps with emergency relief, human rights protection and rehabilitation. The cause of the crash was under investigation, Bailey said.

Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-06-04-arizona-vancrash_N.htm

Kwa habari zaidi someni:

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68&art_id=nw20090604091150588C285143&set_id=

http://www.abc15.com/content/news/centralsouthernarizona/tucson/story/5-killed-when-van-with-aid-workers-crashes-in-S/d64SpkyvEkG3rGr_owc1FA.cspx

http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=10474432&nav=14RTVhRq

Rudini Zimbabwe - Uingereza!

Loh! Kumbe waingereza ni wakatili. Wameamuru wakimbizi 11,000 walioko Uingereza warudi Zimbabwe. Hali ilivyo mbaya huko Zimbabwe hao wakimbizi watakuwa salama kweli? Washenzi wa Mugabe watawauliza, "ehe mlikimbia nini?" halafu watanyanyaswa ile mbaya.

Nashangaa waingereza kwa uamuzi wao. Wanajua kabisa kuwa Zimbabwe kuna matatizo sana hasa kuhusuiana na haki za binadamu. Na wenyewe wamesemea serikaliya Mugaba si ya halali. Waingereza si wanadai wao ni watetezi wakuu wa haki za binadamu. Lakini hawashutuki kurudisha watu kwenye hali ambayo inahatarisha maisha yao.

Hali ya waZimbabwe wakimbizi huko Uingereza ni mbaya. Hawapati huduma ya serikali (welfare) na pia hawaruhusiwi kufanya kazi. Kutokana na hali hiyo wengine wanazagaa mitaani na kuwa ombaomba huko Uingereza.

Nauliza wangekuwa wakimbizi kutoka nchi ya kizungu kama Bosnia wangewarudisha kweli?

Kwa habari zaidi someni:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/06/immigration.immigrationpolicy

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ministers-accused-over-return-of-refugees-to-zimbabwe-856070.html

http://www.indcatholicnews.com/methchzim324.html

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2008/07/20087705459520761.html