Burundian refugees who were expelled from Rwanda last month were living in the country illegally, Foreign minister Louise Mushikiwabo said Tuesday.

In May, about 1,500 Burundians were expelled from Rwanda.

Speaking at a press conference in Kigali, Mushikiwabo described expelling illegal Burundian immigrants as “a small issue” which was magnified due to the current security and political situation in their home country.

There was a huge number of Burundians from bordering constituencies, who were in Rwanda illegally, according to the minister.

“It was hard to understand if they were here as refugees or just working in Rwanda. Such people had unidentified status in Rwanda. With such cases, along might come other security-related challenges,” Mushikiwabo said.

The number of Burundian refugees in Rwanda has increased to more than 70,000, with close to 50,000 living in Mahama camp in eastern Rwanda.

Mushikiwabo said if any of those who were expelled left their property in Rwanda, relevant authorities will discuss and find ways through which Rwanda can transfer the properties to Burundi. Enditem