The 11th group of 101 asylum seekers evacuated from Libya have safely arrived in Rwanda. After reception, they were taken to designated transit hotels and tested for COVID-19.
After getting results, they will be accommodated in Gashora Transit Center that hosts other evacuees who arrived before. They are from five nationalities: Eritrea 49, Sudan 39, Somalia 10, Ethiopia 2 and South Sudan 1.
The evacuation of refugees and asylum seekers out of Libya is in line with a Memorandum of Understanding signed on September 10, 2019 between the Government of Rwanda, UNHCR; the UN Refugee Agency, and the African Union to set up an emergency transit mechanism (ETM).
The Emergency Transit Mechanism aims at providing life-saving protection, assistance and long-term solutions to extremely vulnerable refugees trapped in detention in Libya, through temporary evacuation to Rwanda.
The first group of 66 refugees and asylum seekers from Libya arrived in Rwanda on 26th September, 2019. The Government of Rwanda ensures their safety and security while waiting for durable solution for them.
