A group of 79 refugees and asylum seekers from Libya arrived late Thursday in Rwanda becoming the fourth batch evacuated to Rwanda as part of commitment authorities in Kigali to provide a safe passage for Africans who have been stranded in countries located in the Horn of Africa.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Emergency Management, Olivier Kayumba explained that the new batch will join their fellows who are currently accommodated in Gashora Emergency Transit Centre in Bugesera, a district from Eastern Rwanda.
According to official figures, a total 306 refugees and asylum seekers have been evacuated to Rwanda, and a third of them is expected to have been relocated by the end of this year.
Out of these, 121 of them have been resettled to third-party states, mainly in Europe.
Reports indicate 98 were resettled to Sweden, and 23 to Canada.
The resettlement is part of an agreement between the Rwanda government, UNHCR and the African Union, which will benefit 500 migrants being detained in Libya.
According to the agreement, the migrants are allowed to seek permanent residence in Rwanda, seek asylum in another country, or get assisted to return to their countries of origin.
CU/abj/APA