Rwanda, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has received the 23rd group of asylum seekers evacuated from Libya under an emergency humanitarian relocation programme.
The group of 173 people arrived at Kigali International Airport in the early hours of June 18, 2026.
It comprises 85 Sudanese nationals, 66 Eritreans, 2 Somalis, 7 Ethiopians, and 12 South Sudanese, all previously held in vulnerable conditions in Libya.
Upon arrival, the evacuees were transferred to the Gashora Transit Centre in Bugesera District, where they are provided with temporary shelter, basic necessities, medical care, and psychosocial support while longer-term solutions are being pursued.
UNHCR Rwanda, in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda, continues to work on durable solutions, including resettlement to third countries for eligible individuals.
Since September 2019, Rwanda has received more than 3,000 refugees and asylum seekers evacuated from Libya under the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM), with 2,623 already resettled in third countries.
The ETM was launched on September 10, 2019, following an agreement between the Government of Rwanda, UNHCR, and the African Union.
The first group under the programme arrived in Kigali on September 26, 2019, marking the beginning of the ongoing evacuation and protection initiative.
