The Minister in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA), Maj. Gen (Rtd) Albert Murasira on Thursday, June 20, said that Rwanda remains committed to welcoming refugees and asylum seekers given its strong focus on security and generosity in protecting those in danger.
Minister Murasira made the remarks while addressing hundreds of people who convened at Mugombwa Refugee Camp, Gisagara District in Southern Province as Rwanda joined the rest of the world to celebrate World Refugee Day under the theme 'With Refugees'. Mugombwa is one of five refugee camps in the country.
The event also brought together members of the diplomatic corps, donor community, UN agencies, humanitarian actors, and members of host communities.
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World Refugee Day is an international day designated to honour refugees around the globe in a show of solidarity and commitment for people who have been forced to flee their home countries for various reasons.
"I wish to inform [you] that Rwanda remains committed to upholding all our international and national obligations relating to refugee and asylum seekers. We also reaffirm our commitment to continue the good partnership and collaboration with the UN country team, donors, and partners to ensure effective protection of refugees and asylum seekers," Murasira said.
"We are open to discussing innovative ways to support refugees besides the traditional humanitarian setup."
According to UN reports, every minute, 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution, or terror.
Despite hosting over 135,000 refugees, Rwanda continues to put in place favourable policies enabling the socio-economic inclusion of refugees, the minister told the gathering.
Reflecting on migration and economic partnership between Rwanda and the UK as an innovative and humane solution to migration problems globally, he warned of false [calculating] accusations that Rwanda is not a safe country for refugees.
He said: "You have continued to hear false allegations intending to undermine Rwanda's safety and refugee protection efforts. Normally, it is not good to praise yourself but when it comes to Rwanda's security and generosity towards the protection of people in danger, it speaks for itself, and it is unquestionable. Baseless accusations will never be accepted."
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World Refugee Day celebration also included the inauguration of a new business centre in the camp, awarding of toolkits to refugee entrepreneurs, and an exhibition of refugee businesses--all reflecting on the resilience of refugees.
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Speaking at the event, UNHCR representative in Rwanda, Aissatou Ndiaye, noted, "Standing in solidarity with refugees involves not only offering support but also finding solutions to their challenges.
"This includes ending conflicts so they can safely return home, ensuring they can prosper in their new communities, and providing necessary resources to host countries like Rwanda to support refugees effectively," she said.
Rwanda is home to over 135,000 refugees mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi. Figures by the Ministry in charge of Emergency Management show that Congolese and Burundians are 61.82 per cent and 37.5 per cent respectively.
