On Sunday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that at least 81 Libyan asylum seekers, have been resettled in different countries, since their arrival last year.
The asylum seekers had been hosted by Rwanda’s emergency transit mechanism in the Gashora Transit Centre, located in Bugesera District.
The UNHCR added that forty-nine of them were resettled before the Covid-19 outbreak whereas 33 were relocated to Canada and Norway after Kigali resumed air transport.
The UN agency voiced its hopes that between 30 to 40 more asylum seekers will depart to France and Norway before the end of this year.
“Since the resuming of air transport, we have received delegations from France to conduct interviews so that departures might take place as soon as possible,” said Elise Laura Villechalane, the UNHCR external relations officer.
Current statistics show that 306 refugees have been evacuated to Rwanda, and a third of them are expected to be relocated by the end of this year. They are of different nationalities, mainly from countries in the Horn of African like Somalia, Sudan, and Eritrea.
Rwanda made the commitment to host African refugees trapped in Libya after their desperate journeys to seek asylum in European countries were cut short as European nations stepped up migrant controls.
Persons eligible to benefit from the centre include refugees recognized by UNHCR Libya, asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR Libya, children and youth at risk (registered as refugees) as well as spouses and children of asylum-seekers and refugees.
The refugees have the right to access medical care, school, and work.