§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the(a) number and (b) impact of refugees from Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the situation in Tanzania. [16154]
§ Mr. BradshawAt the end of October, the number of refugees in camps in Tanzania under the aegis of UNHCR totalled 481,000. Of these 346,000 were from Burundi; 110,000 from the Democratic Republic of Congo; and 25,000 from Rwanda. A further 170,000 Burundian refugees are assimilated into the local community and living in villages in Tanzania.
339WThe main impact on Tanzania of these refugees has been instability and increased criminality in border areas (where most of the camps are located), increased pressure on Tanzania's infrastructure and resources, and environmental degradation (especially deforestation).