This was revealed during discussions between MINEMA and the Senate's Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Security on November 27, 2024.
Rwanda has been hosting refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the past two years, particularly at the Nkamira refugee camp, where individuals seeking refuge have been granted asylum-seeker status. However, due to limited capacity, many have been relocated to other camps across the country.
Minister of Emergency Management Maj Gen (Rtd) Albert Murasira stated that Rwanda currently accommodates over 135,000 refugees, including nearly 15,000 who have arrived since the escalation of the M23 conflict. However, these refugees have not yet been granted official asylum status.
"We are currently hosting around 14,000 to 15,000 refugees who fled the DRC after the M23 conflict. They have not yet received asylum status. While Nkamira camp currently hosts about 4,000 refugees, the camp lacks the capacity to accommodate the full influx, so they have been relocated to other camps while holding refugee-seeker status," Murasira explained.
He also mentioned that the total number of people seeking asylum in Rwanda, including those from other countries, exceeds 16,000. Refugees in various camps receive cash assistance to purchase essential items, while those at Nkamira are provided with food supplies.
Among the camps, Mahama hosts the largest number of refugees, with 68,115 individuals.
Other camps with significant refugee populations include Kiziba (14,350), Kigeme (14,868), Mugombwa (11,980), and Nyabiheke (11,480). According to MINEMA statistics, more than 9% of refugees in Rwanda live in urban areas, where they are able to meet their basic needs.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that the DRC has over 7.2 million internally displaced persons.
By September 30, 2024, the number of displaced people from North Kivuâ€"due to the activities of various armed groups, including the FDLR militia and the Wazalendo groupâ€"had reached 1.78 million. In the 18 months leading up to September 2024, approximately 865,000 internally displaced persons had returned to their homes.
IGIHE
