UNHCR and EU support Rwandan reception of migrants from Libya

During a visit to the Gashora transit centre, the European Union ambassador to Rwanda announces €22 million in renewed funding until 2026 in support of the country's hosting of refugees transferred from Libya.

Rwanda has become a transit hub for most migrants after it strike a deal with the likes of UK and the UNHCR.

"So it's a partnership between Rwanda, the African Union and UNHCR. We consider that these are African solutions for African problems. It shows a generosity within the continent to be able to welcome refugees who are in extremely difficult situations," said Belén Calvo Uyarra, the EU Ambassador to Rwanda.

In 2019, Rwanda signed an agreement with UNHCR to evacuate refugees and asylum seekers in need of international protection from Libya to Rwanda.

"It's not what it brings to Rwanda that we should maybe look at first, but it's what it brings to those people who need assistance. It's a choice as I mentioned, it's a choice that the country has made. Using the few resources that the country can hold, to be able to offer solutions that can otherwise be replicated in other countries," said Philippe Habinshuti, the Permanent Secretary of the Rwandan Ministry in charge of emergency management.

Since September 2019, the UNHCR has evacuated about 1,500 refugees and asylum seekers from Libya.  Of these, more than 900 have since left Rwanda to resettle in other countries, the majority in EU countries, including Sweden, France, Belgium and Finland