KIGALI — Government has repatriated 289 citizens who were rescued from human trafficking networks in various countries, mainly in Asia, in the past year, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja said on Thursday.
He told senators from the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Unity and Security, that the repatriations took place between 2025 and March 2026 alone.
Dr. Ugirashebuja said the repatriation effort was carried out through cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other government institutions.
Of the 289 people rescued, 101 were brought back from Cambodia, 99 from Oman, 58 from Laos, and 31 from Myanmar.
The Minister said Rwanda has also put in place measures to help victims rebuild their lives after returning home.
A 2021 ministerial order provides support for survivors of human trafficking to reintegrate into society and create their own employment opportunities, reducing the risk of them being trafficked again.
In 2025 alone, 65 victims received such assistance, he said.
However, Dr. Ugirashebuja noted that significant challenges remain, particularly limited public awareness about human trafficking and weak international cooperation in tackling cross-border crimes.
He cited Interpol data showing that cooperation among African countries in combating human trafficking stands at only 5 percent, compared with 98 percent in Europe.
Rwanda’s Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration also warned that some rescued victims are later deceived again by traffickers, who promise them new job opportunities abroad and encourage them to apply for travel documents to return.
According to the Directorate, many victims are young people seeking better living conditions in unfamiliar countries, only to fall into the hands of traffickers who lure them with promises of attractive jobs.
In June 2025, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) reported that 105 Rwandans had been repatriated from countries where they had been trafficked between June 2024 and May 2025.
RIB statistics also show that from June 2019 to July 2024, 39 people were intercepted at the airport while attempting to leave Rwanda to be trafficked. Between July 2024 and March 2025, authorities prevented another 57 people from being trafficked before they could depart.
