Rwanda receives over 170 asylum seekers from Libya

In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the Ministry in charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA) said the latest group, the 24th to arrive under the programme, was received in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The group comprises 68 Sudanese, 66 Eritreans, 26 South Sudanese, 15 Ethiopians and two Somalis.

According to the ministry, the asylum seekers will be accommodated at the Gashora Transit Centre in Bugesera District, which hosts other evacuees who previously arrived in Rwanda under the humanitarian initiative.

The Emergency Transit Mechanism was established in September 2019 through a partnership between the Government of Rwanda, UNHCR and the African Union to provide temporary protection to vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers evacuated from Libya while durable solutions, including resettlement, are pursued.

MINEMA said that since the programme began, Rwanda has received more than 3,000 refugees and asylum seekers from Libya.

Of these, 2,681 have been successfully resettled in third countries, including Canada (927), France (332), the United States (325), Sweden (297), Finland (271), Norway (229), Germany (132), the Netherlands (94) and Belgium (72).

The ministry reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to providing protection to people fleeing conflict and persecution, saying the country remains committed to offering refuge to people in need.

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