Rwanda's Appeals Committee for Refugees and Asylum Seekers Begins Hearings, Taking More Than 20 Cases in Its First Week
Kigali, Rwanda — Rwanda's Appeals Committee for Refugees and Asylum Seekers formally began hearing cases on Tuesday, October 20, with more than 20 appeals scheduled in its first week and hundreds more expected to follow.
The committee reviews decisions of the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (DGIE), including refusals and revocations of refugee status; appellants must file within 30 days of being notified of a decision. Established under Rwanda's Law No. 042/2024 of April 19, 2024 on refugees and a related presidential order, the committee operates under the oversight of the Ministry of Justice but adjudicates independently.
Rwanda hosts refugees and asylum seekers from neighbouring countries and, since 2019, has operated an Emergency Transit Mechanism with UNHCR for people evacuated from Libya. The new committee gives refused applicants a formal channel of appeal and is a further step in proceduralising the country's asylum system.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 基加利市区街景。图：Emmanuelkwizera，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。 / A street in central Kigali. Photo by Emmanuelkwizera, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
