In 2026, UNHCR began conducting intention surveys following requests by some newly arrived Congolese refugees in Busuma, Burundi, to return to South Kivu. These requests came amid ongoing spontaneous returns of around 40,500 individuals to South Kivu, following the reopening of the Burundi–DRC border on 23 February 2026, despite the fragile situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and despite limited access to services and opportunities in return areas.