Tuesday June 13, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Rwandan government has welcomed 134 refugees and asylum seekers who were evacuated from unstable conditions in Libya.
This diverse group comprises 64 Eritreans, 35 Sudanese, 15 Somalis, 17 Ethiopians, 2 Cameroonians, and a lone Malian. They join fellow evacuees at the Gashora Transit Center, a haven for individuals uprooted from their home countries.
This refuge center was established through a tripartite collaboration between the Rwandan government, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the African Union. The partnership seeks to provide a beacon of hope and safety for refugees from various corners of the continent.
Since 2019, over 1,600 asylum seekers have found sanctuary in Rwanda. Throughout this period, the UNHCR has sought sustainable solutions for these displaced individuals. Among the options under consideration is voluntary repatriation to their home countries or facilitating a pathway to permanent residence within Rwanda.
In a report delivered to The New Times in April, Lilly Carlisle, the UNHCR's spokesperson for Rwanda, indicated the agency's intention to renew the agreement related to the evacuation and resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers in Rwanda.