Burundi refugees talk about life in South Africa after their long journey: hope and heartbreak side by side

Burundi refugees talk about life in South Africa after their long journey: hope and heartbreak side by side

Over 250,000 people were registered as asylum seekers and refugees – people displaced by force – in South Africa in 2024. About 4% of them were from Burundi, some 3,000km away. When people think about refugees, they often imagine families fleeing war and finding safety in another country. As social scientists, we’re also interested in what happens after they arrive. Does finding safety also mean finding a place to belong? We believe that everyon…