They spent more than five days on the Nyakarama hill in Kirundo province in northern Burundi.

They said they had fled the ongoing mandatory vaccination campaign in Rwanda.

The provincial governor, Albert Hatungimana, directed that they be deported to Rwanda.

Last Thursday, nine other Rwandan nationals were repatriated to their country by the authorities in the province. They had also fled the mandatory vaccination campaign.

In a security meeting, the governor signalled on Tuesday that he could not welcome people who do not adhere to the government's Covid-19 response programme.

He said everyone had to get vaccinated so as to be allowed to stay in the country.