Media Wire Express Correspondent
Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), famously known by its Swahili acronym JWTZ, has warned that the continued existence of refugees and asylum seekers in the country poses a security threat.
Issuing an address during the seventh conference between the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and other commanders, Tanzania’s CDF, Gen. John Mkunda, said that some of the refugees have found their way into the government, and some of them have been appointed to critical positions.
The CDF issued the alert in front of President Samia, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He said that it is risky that some refugees have been living in Tanzania for many years without proper documentation, to the point that they managed to get employed within the government.
“Tanzania has continued to receive requests from asylum seekers and those seeking refuge for many years. Most are from Burundi (since 1972), Rwanda (since 1994), and the DR Congo (since 1996),” he said.
From January to December 2023, Tanzania received over 138,000 asylum and refuge requests from people from neighbouring countries.
