Rwanda and Italy are holding discussions on possible cooperation involving the Gashora Emergency Transit Mechanism Centre as part of efforts to support asylum seekers, government spokesperson Yolande Makolo has said.
Makolo said the talks are still at an early stages and no agreement has been reached, but one of the proposals under consideration is the use of the Gashora facility in Bugesera District as a safe temporary location for people who have no immediate destination.
government spokesperson Yolande Makolo
She made the remarks on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, during an interview with Royal FM, where she explained that Rwanda’s engagement in migration discussions with European countries is linked to its long experience in hosting and supporting refugees.
“Among the ideas being discussed is how we can use the temporary accommodation facility we already have in Gashora as a safe place for families and individuals who have nowhere else to go. The discussions are still ongoing and no decision has been made,” Makolo said.
Her comments came a day after Rwanda received a new group of 177 refugees and asylum seekers evacuated from Libya under a partnership between the Government of Rwanda and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The group arrived in Rwanda on the night of Aug. 5 and was transferred to the Gashora Emergency Transit Mechanism Centre, where they will stay temporarily while awaiting processing and possible relocation to countries willing to receive them.
The latest arrivals include 68 Sudanese nationals, 66 Eritreans, 26 South Sudanese, 15 Ethiopians and two Somalis.
Since Rwanda began receiving vulnerable migrants evacuated from Libya in September 2019, more than 3,000 refugees and asylum seekers have passed through the Gashora facility. Of these, 2,681 have been relocated to countries that accepted them for permanent settlement.
The countries that have received refugees through the programme include Canada, which took in 927 people, France with 332, the United States with 325, Sweden with 297, Finland with 271, Norway with 229, Germany with 132, the Netherlands with 94 and Belgium with 72.
Makolo said Rwanda’s participation in refugee and migration initiatives is informed by its own history of displacement, noting that the country currently hosts more than 100,000 refugees, mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.
She said refugees living in Rwanda have access to identification documents, healthcare services and opportunities to work while they await durable solutions, including voluntary return or relocation to other countries.
The Gashora Emergency Transit Mechanism Centre was established in 2018 through cooperation between Rwanda, UNHCR and other international organisations to receive African migrants evacuated from Libya.
The Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA) said Rwanda will continue working with international partners to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to people fleeing conflict and other conditions that put their lives at risk.
