The Government of Rwanda in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency (UNCHR) has been receiving refugees and asylum seekers from Libya since 2019. There are hundreds more from different other countries
KIGALI — Rwandan Givernment has begun hearing its first appeals from asylum seekers challenging decisions by immigration authorities, marking the start of proceedings by a specialised committee established to review refugee-status cases.
The Appeals Committee for Refugees and Asylum Seekers officially began hearing cases this Tuesday October 20, 2026. It is expected to hear more than 20 appeals during its first week. It is said hundreds more are expected.
The committee reviews decisions by the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration involving applications for refugee status, including refusals to grant asylum and decisions to revoke refugee status.
Under the applicable rules, asylum seekers and refugees must lodge appeals within 30 days of being notified of the immigration authority’s decision.
The committee was established under Law No. 042/2024 of April 19, 2024, governing refugees and asylum seekers in Rwanda, and Presidential Order No. 051/01 of the same date.
Its mandate includes reviewing immigration decisions, hearing the parties involved and determining whether the decisions comply with the law or should be overturned.
Although the committee falls under the oversight of the Ministry of Justice, it has administrative and decision-making independence and is not subject to instructions from other institutions when adjudicating cases.
Its decisions are guided by Rwandan law and international conventions on refugee protection, with the committee assessing whether individual claims for refugee status have merit.
The launch of the appeals process comes as Rwanda continues to host a substantial refugee population.
Figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA) show that the country was hosting 139,683 refugees as of July 31, 2026.
Most of the refugees originated from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi.
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