Information on refugees in Rwanda
The 1951 Refugee Convention declares that a refugee is someone who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.”
The demography of the refugee population in Rwanda remains in majority women and children.
Congolese Refugees:
From 1996, Rwanda has been hosting primarily Congolese refugees who now number nearly 74,000. They include refugees who fled in the 1990s, as well as more recent arrivals who fled to Rwanda during the 2012-2013 renewed hostilities in eastern DRC. For the latest statistics on Congolese refugees in Rwanda please click here.
Burundian Refugees:
As a result of election-related tensions in neighbouring Burundi, Rwanda has opened its border to host thousands of Burundian refugees who have fled the country since April 2015. For the latest statistics on Burundian refugees in Rwanda please click here.
Other Refugees:
In addition to the primarily Congolese and Burundian caseloads, Rwanda host around 50 refugees from additional countries, including:
- Afghanistan
- Angola
- Central Africa Republic
- Chad
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Kenya
- Somalia
- Uganda