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As of 30 June 2023, Rwanda provided international protection to 127,619 refugees and asylum-seekers from 21 countries, with most coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi.
Rwanda has continued to offer opportunities for socioeconomic integration of refugees. This is reinforced by the fact that the economy in Rwanda has continued to experience rapid growth in the reporting period, even though the country is still classified as a low-income country (2022 HDI ranking 165).
Most refugees have continued to live in camps which are dispersed throughout the country, as well as in the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) (established through a Tripartite MoU signed in September 2019 between the Government of Rwanda, AU and UNHCR) which has provided protection and support to 1,737 refugees and asylum-seekers evacuated from Libya to date. In October 2021, Gihembe Refugee Camp in Gicumbi was closed due to landslide risks, leaving five remaining camps. A few refugees live outside of camps in rental arrangements in urban areas such as in Kigali, Nyamata and Huye. In 2023, the urban refugee population was estimated at 12,728, approximately nine per cent of the total refugee population. Refugees live near host communities with whom they have daily interactions.