What changed
Tanzania endorsed UNHCR High Commissioner Barham Salih’s “50 by 35” vision to halve the global refugee population by 2035 at the UNHCR Executive Committee session in Geneva on October 13, 2026. Deputy Home Affairs Minister Ayoub Mohammed Mahmoud said Tanzania is pursuing different long-term solutions: voluntary return for refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, citizenship for more than 160,000 Burundian refugees, and alternative arrangements for the remaining Burundian group.
Why it matters
Tanzania is tying a global target to two very different realities on the ground. For Congolese refugees, the focus is on helping people return voluntarily. For Burundians, Tanzania has already used citizenship for a large group but says it will not extend that route to those who remain.
That makes the next phase less about declaring support and more about resources and implementation. Mahmoud asked for funding for refugee verification, stronger healthcare, education and food assistance, and more higher-education opportunities for Congolese refugees. UNHCR pledged continued technical support and said it would follow up on increased educational assistance.
The unresolved question is the remaining Burundian group: no number or timetable was given for the alternative solutions. The practical test of “50 by 35” will therefore be whether international backing turns these separate promises into workable choices for each refugee population.
Comments
No comments yet.