Rwanda is considering removing the statute of limitations for human trafficking offences, a move aimed at ensuring perpetrators can be prosecuted regardless of how long it takes for victims to come forward or for evidence to emerge.
The proposal was disclosed by Minister of Justice and Attorney General Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja during a meeting with the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Unity and Security on Thursday, July 23, as lawmakers reviewed Rwanda’s implementation of international conventions on combating human trafficking.
Dr Ugirashebuja said trafficking cases often take years to surface because victims are frequently unable to report their ordeal while abroad.
“In many cases, evidence only becomes available much later. Once victims arrive in the destination country, they are often deprived of the means to contact authorities,” he said.
He explained that classifying human trafficking among offences that do not lapse with time would enable prosecutors to pursue cases whenever sufficient evidence becomes available.
The minister said the government has continued to strengthen its anti-trafficking efforts, noting that convictions have declined over the past three years—from 24 in 2023 to 18 in 2024 and 12 in 2025.
He also highlighted progress in victim protection, revealing that 289 Rwandans trafficked to different countries were repatriated between July 2025 and March 2026. They included 101 rescued from Cambodia, 99 from Oman, 58 from Laos and 31 from Myanmar.
The Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration told senators that digital border management systems helped prevent 673 Rwandans from being trafficked abroad in 2025.
Senators called for intensified public awareness campaigns, particularly among young people who are increasingly targeted through social media recruitment schemes, and urged stronger international cooperation to dismantle cross-border trafficking networks.
Rwanda has also expanded training for justice and security officials and strengthened legal and institutional measures to improve victim identification, protection and prosecution of traffickers as part of its broader strategy to combat human trafficking.
