Rwanda : 164 asylum seekers evacuated from Libya arrive on 25 February 2026
On 25 February 2026, the Government of Rwanda, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, received 164 asylum seekers evacuated from Libya, the Rwandan Ministry of Emergency Management stated.
The group includes 143 Sudanese, 19 Eritreans, 1 Ethiopian and 1 South Sudanese and was brought to Rwanda under the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) established in 2019 through a memorandum of understanding with the African Union and UNHCR.
They are temporarily hosted at the Gashora Transit Centre in Bugesera District, where they receive shelter, health care and psychosocial support while durable solutions or resettlement options are pursued.
Since 2019, nearly 2,924 people have been evacuated from Libya to Rwanda under this mechanism, with about 2,585 of them since resettled in third countries, according to official UNHCR figures.
The Emergency Transit Mechanism also receives financial backing from the European Union to support protection and assistance efforts.
