The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Rwanda announced early on Thursday that 164 refugees and asylum seekers were transferred overnight from Libya to Rwanda under an emergency evacuation arrangement.
According to the agency, the latest relocation brings the total number of evacuees moved from Libya to Rwanda since 2019 to 2,924. Of these, 2,585 individuals have since been resettled in third countries.
Rwanda has hosted evacuees under a tripartite agreement signed in 2019 between the UNHCR, the African Union and the Rwandan government. The accord established an Emergency Transit Mechanism in Gashora Sector, Bugesera District, offering temporary shelter, protection and essential support services while individuals are assessed for onward resettlement.
The initiative, backed by the European Union, has been expanded twice, most recently in January 2024. The expansion increased the facility’s capacity to 700 people and extended the duration of its operations, reinforcing Rwanda’s role as a regional humanitarian partner in addressing displacement from Libya.
