Refugees and migrants, relocated to Rwanda from Libya and subsequently held in Gashora Emergency Transit Centre outside Kigali, have protested against their lockdown. Rwanda has accepted several hundred persons, evacuated from Libya’s notorious detention facilities. Some have been screened and approved for relocation to countries including Canada and Norway, but the lockdown has suspended their onward travel, leaving them stuck in the transit centre indefinitely. UNHCR reportedly issued a statement urging calm and emphasised that Rwandan laws have ordered the various restrictions in place.
- Voice of America, “Refugees Protest Under Coronavirus Lockdown in Rwanda,” 17 April 2020, https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda
- KT Press, “Govt, UNHCR Move to Restore Calm Among Refugees,” 18 April 2020, https://www.ktpress.rw/2020/04/govt-unhcr-move-to-restore-calm-among-refugees/
- A police officer stands at the deserted crossing point between Rwanda and the DRC amid concerns about the spread of Covid-19 (Reuters, https://www.voanews.com/covid-19-pandemic/refugees-protest-under-coronavirus-lockdown-rwanda)
