Resettlement

The United Republic of Tanzania is a signatory of the 1951 Refugee Convention-for more than 40 years now. Since its independence, Tanzania has had a long history of generosity in hosting refugees. Throughout its history, the country has hosted one of the largest refugee populations in Africa, mainly refugees fleeing persecution and political turmoil in neighbouring countries.

As of April 2022, there were 248,523 refugees and asylum seekers in the United Republic of Tanzania, most of them from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. Fast forward to 2024, the country hosted 241,883 refugees and asylum seekers mainly from the two countries mentioned above. A large percent of the refugees in Tanzania live in two camps located in the country’s Northwestern region of Kigoma.  IOM Tanzania has assisted in the resettlement of more than 21, 396 refugees and counting, mostly Congolese refugees from the Nyarugusu Refugee Camp to third countries, mainly the United States of America, Canada and Australia, among others. IOM Tanzania is directly involved in providing logistical arrangements, including facilitating adjudication immigration interviews for refugees who have been referred for resettlement to third countries, as well as medical screening, travel assistance and cultural orientation.

Movement Management and Operations

IOM Tanzania provides logistical arrangements and travel assistance for refugees who are scheduled to depart to their country of resettlement. This includes obtaining movement permits from the camp to the transit centre where they undergo pre departure formalities. The refugees are provided bus transportation from the camp to the transit centre in Kasulu and onward to Kigoma airport. Exit permits to leave the country are granted by the Zonal Coordinator who seats in Kigoma office. Currently, refugees under United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) depart from Kasulu airstrip by charter planes to Dar es Salaam and onwards to the US. The beneficiaries travelling to European countries, Canada and Australia travel by commercial flight through Kigoma airport and thereafter make connections to international flights to their resettlement countries.

All beneficiaries’ tickets are handled by the IOM Country Office in Dar es Salaam by the Booking Unit. Beneficiaries’ travel documents received from resettlement countries through Resettlement Support Centre RSC for USRAP cases, Embassies for European, Canada and Australian cases are handled by Data Unit staff. Beneficiary documents are stored in a secured room with limited access in compliance with the organisation’s data protection policy.

Cultural Orientation

IOM Tanzania facilitates cultural orientation sessions for refugees accepted for resettlement on request from IOM Nairobi Canadian Cultural Orientation Abroad and RSC Africa (United States Cultural Orientation) from Kasulu RSC Office. Recently, the office has received requests from Sweden- Pre-Departure Orientation PDO to also facilitate cultural orientation. IOM supports the implementing agencies in all logistical and administrative arrangements and the sessions are held in Makere Processing Centre. However, due to an increased caseload for processing, USRAP has extended the processing by introducing a work site in Nyarugusu camp where they conduct pre-screening interviews and cultural orientation on top of Makere managed activities.

Looking ahead

Since moving to Makere/Kasulu-Currently, the overall processing under the USRAP and other countries resettlement countries have been moving smoothly with minor challenges. Some of the achievements that have been realised include,

• The operations are now closer to the Nyarugusu and Nduta camp.
• RSC and CIS interviews, cultural orientation sessions, and Health Assessment are held at Makere Processing Centre.
• Pre departure formalities and departures are held in Kasulu except for European, Canadian and Australian cases that travel through Kigoma Airport.

• Built additional bathrooms and office blocks in the Pastoral Centre in Kasulu that are used as an Isolation Centre and office for the movement staff.
• Leased a transit centre in Kasulu 2021(famously known as Main TC) which has a capacity of accommodating 250 participants at one given time.

Since 1^st May 2024, IOM mission in Tanzania has leased another transit centre in Dar es Salaam to ensure smooth handling of beneficiaries arriving from Kasulu/ Kigoma for 8-24 hours before transferring to the international departure terminal.

• Currently the facility can accommodate 250 beneficiaries and is still under improvement. Once the facility is completed, it will be able to accommodate 400 beneficiaries at once. Establishment of this new transit centre is corresponding to IOM’s mandate which is to ensure that IOM assists beneficiaries reach their destinations safely and in a humane and dignified manner.