The Zambian deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Lt. Col. Panji Kaunda Tushuke, has urged Rwandan refugees in various countries to voluntarily repatriate before being deported.

He pledged to support the sensitisation campaign for voluntary repatriation in his own country, Zambia.

He made the remarks in Nyabihu, on Thursday, while visiting returnees to assess their reintegration process.

"Our mission was to see how returnees are integrated in the society. Basing on what we have seen, it is now our duty to tell  Rwandans in Zambia to return home  since the government here  is committed to ensuring the welfare of all Rwandans,” Minister Kaunda said.

"Even if some Rwandans in Zambia have made fortunes, they should know that there is no place better than home. Those who want to remain in Zambia should apply for Rwandan passports in line with the cessation clause for Rwandan refugees,” he added.

Seraphine Mukantabana, the Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugee Affairs (Midmir), urged the returnees to ask their relatives who still fear to repatriate to do so.

 "Since you have seen that your country is striving for development and welfare of every Rwandan, tell them to come and join us in building our nation. I think the story you will tell them will dampen the wrong perception they have about Rwanda,”   she told a group of Rwandan refugees, who travelled with the Zambian delegation on a fact-finding mission.

The group came for an assessment tour which can help them make an informed decision on repatriation.

 The visit dubbed, ‘come-and- see-go-and-tell’, is organised by Midmir in partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

 "Tell those who have been  misleading you with claims that Rwanda kills returnees that you have found a country that loves you, a country that strives for your welfare,” added Mukantabana.

Returnees relieved

Jeane d’Arc Masengesho said she only regained hope of self development after her repatriation in 2013.

 "In DR Congo, I always suffered from malaria and sanitation diseases. I no longer suffer from those ailments since we are granted free mosquito nets. I am also optimistic about the future since I am learning tailoring.  I hope to  join cooperatives like Umurenge Sacco to save for my future,” she said.

Dorcas Ingabire, who spent 19 years in DR Congo, said she only got peace when she returned to Rwanda in 2013.

"Everyday we saw relatives and friends being killed either by other militiamen in Congo or FDLR members  in case one was suspected of intentions to repatriate. My future looks bright now due to the current peace and security in the country,” she said.

During the tour, the ministers and their delegations distributed farm inputs and seeds to returnees in Kijote Cell, Bigogwe Sector in Nyabihu.  These included potatoes, pumps, fertilisers and hoes.

The ministers also inspected vocational training activities for returnees in Kora Cell in Bigogwe.

The tour was undertaken after the conclusion of a tripartite meeting on Wednesday, during which Rwanda, Zambia and UNHCR agreed on a three-month deadline to sensitise Rwandans in Zambia either to repatriate or acquire proper documentation allowing them to stay in Zambia legally.

A total of 6,091 Rwandans, mostly former refugees live in Zambia, according to authorities from the southern African country.

The cessation clause, adopted in 2013, affects about 4,000 former Rwandan refugees in Zambia who fled Rwanda between 1959 and 1998.

According to the Zambian government, 733 out of the 4,000 have immigration permits.

But for these to become ordinary migrants, they need to acquire Rwandan passports, which is a prerequisite for their local integration.