They arrived in Kigali on the night of February 25, 2026, including 19 from Eritrea, 143 from Sudan, one from Ethiopia, and one from South Sudan. They were taken to the Gashora Temporary Transit Center in Bugesera, where they will stay before being resettled in other countries.

The program started in 2019 under an agreement between the Government of Rwanda, the African Union, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), renewed in 2024 by Rwanda’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Charles Karamba.

Since the program began, Rwanda has hosted around 3,000 asylum seekers, with over 2,500 already resettled in countries including Sweden, Canada, Netherlands, Belgium, and United States.

Most of the refugees come from Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and South Sudan, fleeing insecurity and violence. Rwanda welcomes them voluntarily and provides necessary documentation and support while they await resettlement in other countries.