This archive report was first published on 5 October 2019.
On October 5, 2019, a group of 66 African refugees and asylum seekers arrived in Rwanda, settling in at the transit centre at Gashora in Bugesera district, about a two-hour drive south of the capital Kigali.
According to Elise Villechalene, the UNHCR's external relations officer in Kigali, the refugees were free to move outside the camp. However, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs insisted that the camp was out of bounds to all, including the media.
During a visit to the camp, construction activity was observed surrounding the main entrance, which was heavily guarded and inaccessible to outsiders. The perimeter wall was also off-limits.
Local residents in the nearby trading centre were unaware of the refugees' presence and had not been formally informed. Some residents had seen young men from the camp venturing out to buy items at the trading centre.
One resident, Diane Uwiragiye, a seller of airtime and mobile money transactions, expressed her eagerness to serve the refugees, saying, “We know they’re in the camp and we’re waiting for them to come out and be our clients.”
When approached by a journalist, three young men from the camp, who identified themselves as Eritreans, shared their story of being rescued by the UN after their boat capsized at sea, resulting in the deaths of around 150-170 people.
However, their encounter with the journalist was cut short when they were intercepted by two men in civilian clothing, who suspected them of being undercover security officers. The men were eventually persuaded to return to the camp after the journalist intervened.
When questioned about the refugees' situation, officials from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs stated that registration and medical check-ups had been completed, and they were processing documents to allow the refugees to move freely.
