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Omar Athumani, a refugee from Burundi.
A refugee from Burundi who uses a bike to deliver online orders says he’s scared of living or working in the Durban Central Business District after being attacked.
Twenty-eight-year-old Omar Athumani is now living with other refugees outside the Home Affairs reception centre in Umbilo.
JUST IN | In a statement, eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba says a repatriation facility will be established for refugees who wish to go back to their countries. Jayed Paulse reports. pic.twitter.com/ipz8GAnWCl
— SABC News (@SABCNews) May 22, 2026
Athumani was a young child when he and his elder brother fled from the conflict in Burundi in 2010.
He says that he feels much safer at the Home Affairs reception centre than in the CBD.
“We are all here and we feel more safe than being around town, as you can see, there are so many people here.”
VIDEO | Migration Focus | Foreign nationals still camping outside Durban’s Refugee Centre
