Rwanda Welcomes 173 Evacuated Asylum Seekers as Humanitarian Lifeline Continues

Kigali (WDN) – Rwanda has received another group of vulnerable asylum seekers evacuated from Libya, through the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) , an initiative panned to offer a renewed opportunity to hundreds of people who had become trapped in one of the world’s most dangerous migration corridors.

The latest group, consisting of 173 asylum seekers, arrived in Rwanda under a humanitarian transit mechanism supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and African Union. The initiative is designed to provide temporary protection and safety to migrants and refugees stranded in Libya while long-term solutions are sought for their future.

According to Rwanda’s Ministry in charge of Emergency Management, the new arrivals include 12 South Sudanese nationals, while the remainder come from Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia—countries that have been affected by conflict, political instability, economic hardship, or humanitarian crises.

For years, Rwanda has worked closely with UNHCR and international partners to receive and shelter asylum seekers evacuated from Libya, providing them with a secure environment after enduring often harrowing journeys marked by uncertainty, violence, and displacement.