Rwanda has received another group of 164 refugees and migrants evacuated from Libya, where many had been stranded while seeking routes to Europe, authorities said.
The group arrived in Kigali late Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. It includes 19 Eritreans, 143 Sudanese nationals, one Ethiopian and one South Sudanese.
Upon arrival, the asylum seekers were transferred to the Gashora Transit Center in Bugesera district, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the capital. They will be temporarily accommodated there while awaiting resettlement to third countries.
Rwanda’s evacuation and transit mechanism was established under a memorandum of understanding signed on Sept. 10, 2019, between the government of Rwanda, the African Union and the U.N. refugee agency. The initial three-year agreement allowed for the reception of vulnerable migrants and asylum seekers evacuated from Libya.
The agreement was renewed on Aug. 23, 2024, with Rwanda’s ambassador to Ethiopia, retired Maj. Gen. Charles Karamba, signing on behalf of the government.
Most of those evacuated are Africans fleeing insecurity and instability in their home countries, including Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and South Sudan. Many had attempted to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe but were intercepted or detained in Libya.
Since 2019, Rwanda has received nearly 3,000 refugees and migrants under the arrangement. More than 2,500 have since been resettled in countries including Sweden, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States.
Rwandan authorities say evacuees are transferred on a voluntary basis and are provided with documentation and assistance in coordination with the U.N. refugee agency while awaiting permanent resettlement.
