BUJUMBURA, Burundi 

Some 120 Burundian refugees have been repatriated from Uganda, authorities announced late on Monday.

A second batch of refugees is expected on Dec. 17, Gervais Ndirakobuca, minister of interior, public security and community development, told reporters.

The returnees are coming from the Nakivale refugee camp and Ugandan capital Kampala, Ndirakobuca said, calling on residents to welcome the returning refugees.

He said the repatriation effort was conducted in collaboration with Ugandan authorities and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

According to the UNHCR data, over 90,000 refugees have been repatriated from Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent months.

Thousands of Burundians fled their country in 2015 to seek refuge in neighboring countries due to political and security crises in the country.