Rwanda, the African Union (AU), and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have jointly announced the extension of the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) for African migrants and refugees stranded in Libya, extending the program until the end of 2025.
Originally signed in September 2019, the memorandum of understanding has been extended through December 31, 2025.
The agreement reaffirms the commitment of all parties to protect and find permanent solutions for refugees and asylum seekers evacuated from Libya.
Under the extended agreement, only 2,300 individuals out of the planned 30,000 evacuations have been relocated.
These migrants hail from countries including Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali. Approximately 1,800 have been resettled in third countries, primarily in Europe and North America.
In 2019, Rwanda declared its readiness to host up to 30,000 Africans from Libya.
The UNHCR continues to provide necessary support and assistance, including accommodation, food, medical care, and other essential services to those evacuated during their stay in Rwanda.
This marks the second extension of the migration evacuation program from Libya to Rwanda since the agreement’s inception.
The parties have emphasized the importance of a transparent selection process for the evacuees and are intensifying efforts to find solutions for those who do not meet the refugee status criteria.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), as of August 14 this year, more than 13,000 migrants were intercepted off the Libyan coast since the beginning of the year, with 421 reported deaths and 603 others missing during the same period.
