African refugees evacuated from Libya say they feel like humans again in Rwanda

The African migrants who were recently evacuated to Rwanda from Libya say they "feel like human beings again" after the tortures they endured in Libya. They thanked the government and people of Rwanda for opening up their country to them. 

Many of them say that knowing they would be transferred to Rwanda brought a glimmer of hope in them saying they are privileged. 

The Ministry of Emergency Management says evacuation of the asylum seekers to Rwanda is under the framework of the Emergency Transit Mechanism established through the Memorandum of Understanding signed on September 10, 2019, in Addis Ababa – Ethiopia between the Government of Rwanda, the UN Refugee Agency, and the African Union.

To date, 189 refugees and asylum seekers have been transferred from Libya to Rwanda in 2 session. The first lot was 66 while the second consisted of 123 people. It is expected that in November 120 more people will come and 191 more will be expected at a later date.  

Officials from UNHCR toured the transit center to see for themselves where these migrants live and they applauded the efforts made to make them feel comfortable.