A plane carrying 132 refugees and asylum seekers evacuated from Libya landed yesterday May 31, at the Kigali International Airport.

This was the ninth batch to arrive in the country, and was made up of 74 Eritreans, 5 Ethiopians, 4 Somalis, 4 South Sudanese and 45 Sudanese. 

The asylum seekers, mostly youths, were welcomed by officials from the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management (MINEMA) alongside the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

According to the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management, they will be accommodated at the Gashora Transit Center located in Bugesera District that currently hosts 325 refugees and asylum seekers.

Rwanda made the commitment to host African refugees stuck 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 center include refugees recognised 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.