Burundian people

Burundians (French: Burundais/Burundaise; Kirundi: Abarundi) are the citizens and nationals of the Republic of Burundi. Burundian nationality is defined under the Burundian Constitution and the Nationality Code (Code de la nationalité burundaise),^[6] which regulates the acquisition, transmission, and loss of citizenship.^[7][8]

The number of Burundian nationals living abroad has grown steadily over the years. Approximately 11% of Burundian citizens reside outside the country, totaling around 1.35 million individuals,^[9] With the largest communities in neighboring African nations,^[10][11] such as Tanzania,^[12][13] Rwanda,^[14] Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.^[15] Outside Africa, populations exist in countries including Canada, Belgium, and the United States.^[16][17]

Many Burundians living abroad send remittances back home. In 2016, the average remittance per person was $140.^[18] The Burundian government encourages diaspora investment through the Agence de Promotion des Investissements (API) and the Office Burundais des Recettes (OBR). Remittances are primarily sent via banks or services such as Western Union and are received in Burundi francs. In 2016, Burundi, in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), introduced a national diaspora policy to support Burundians living abroad and their community organizations.^[19][20]

The Burundian people trace their history to the Kingdom of Burundi, which emerged in the Great Lakes region during the 16th century.^[21][22][23] The kingdom was ruled by a monarch known as the mwami and organized through patron–client systems that connected the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa communities.^[24][25] In 1890, Burundi was incorporated into German East Africa, and after Germany's defeat in the First World War it was placed under Belgian control as part of the League of Nations mandate of Ruanda-Urundi.^[26][27][28] The country gained independence on 1 July 1962 as a constitutional monarchy, but a series of military coups in 1966 brought an end to the monarchy and created the Republic of Burundi.^[29] Since independence, Burundi has faced repeated periods of political unrest and ethnic violence, including a civil war between 1993 and 2005 that displaced large numbers of people and resulted in the migration of Burundian nationals to neighboring countries as well as to parts of Europe and North America.^[30][31][32]

In Australia, the Burundi-born population was recorded at 753 in the 2006 Census. Between 2006 and 2010, an additional 1,266 Burundian refugees settled in the country, more than doubling the Burundi-born population.^[33]

Between 1993 and 2008, a total of 3,344 Burundians applied for asylum in the Netherlands,^[34] according to Dutch authorities. From 2005 to 2008, they granted 1,570 residence permits to Burundian applicants, of which 640 were for an unspecified duration.^[35]