Rwanda repatriated 289 citizens who had fallen victim to human trafficking between 2025 and March 2026, with most rescued from countries in Asia, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja has revealed.
The figures were presented on Thursday during a session with the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Unity and Security, which reviewed Rwanda’s implementation of international conventions aimed at preventing and combating human trafficking.
Dr. Ugirashebuja said the repatriations were made possible through collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other government institutions working to rescue Rwandans trafficked abroad.
According to the minister, the rescued victims included 101 people repatriated from Cambodia, 99 from Oman, 58 from Laos, and 31 from Myanmar.
He said the figures demonstrate both the scale of the challenge and the importance of international cooperation in protecting Rwandan citizens overseas.
The minister also highlighted measures Rwanda has put in place to help survivors rebuild their lives.
He noted that a 2021 Ministerial Order provides support for victims of human trafficking through rehabilitation, reintegration into society, and assistance with income-generating activities to reduce the risk of being trafficked again.
He said 65 trafficking survivors received such assistance in 2025.
Despite these efforts, Dr. Ugirashebuja acknowledged that limited public awareness remains one of the biggest challenges in the fight against human trafficking.
Many victims, particularly young people, continue to be lured by false promises of well-paying jobs abroad before finding themselves exploited.
He also pointed to weak international cooperation in tackling transnational crime. Citing Interpol statistics, the minister said cooperation among African countries in combating human trafficking stands at just 5%, compared with 98% in Europe, making cross-border investigations and prosecutions significantly more difficult.
The Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration warned that some rescued victims have later attempted to return to the same countries after being deceived by traffickers claiming new employment opportunities had become available.
Some have even reapplied for travel documents in an effort to leave Rwanda again.
Officials said traffickers often target young people seeking better economic opportunities in unfamiliar countries, where they are vulnerable to exploitation.
The latest figures indicate an increase in the number of victims being rescued compared to previous years.
In June 2025, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) reported that 105 Rwandans had been repatriated after being trafficked abroad between June 2024 and May 2025.
RIB data also shows that between June 2019 and July 2024, authorities intercepted 39 people at Kigali International Airport before they could be trafficked, while another 57 suspected victims were prevented from leaving the country between July 2024 and March 2025 after trafficking attempts were disrupted before their departure.
