Nearly 290 Rwandan trafficking victims rescued from exploitation abroad

At least 289 Rwandan victims of human trafficking have been rescued from exploitation in different countries and repatriated home in recent months, authorities said Thursday.

The victims, especially youngsters, had been lured with bogus lucrative job offers by traffickers, but they ended up in “exploitation,” mostly in Asian countries, according to Justice Minister Emmanuel Ugirashebuja.

The victims were repatriated between July 2025 and March.

Ugirashebuja appeared in parliament in Kigali to brief lawmakers on the implementation of international legal instruments binding Rwanda in line with the prevention, suppression and punishment of trafficking in persons.

A total of 101 victims were rescued from Cambodia, 58 from Laos, 31 from Myanmar and 99 from Oman, he said.

Ugirashebuja underlined measures the government has put in place to combat human trafficking, including awareness campaigns using various media platforms and putting in place a legal framework which has enabled prosecution of suspected traffickers.

He said in the last three years at least 54 traffickers were prosecuted, of which 12 were convicted last year, compared to 18 who were convicted in 2024.

He noted that gathering evidence from victims remains among the challenges to combating trafficking.

More than 180 nations have ratified or acceded to the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, which contains obligations to prevent and combat the crime.

Two recognized primary forms of trafficking in persons include sex trafficking and forced labor.

The 2018 Rwanda anti-trafficking law criminalized sex trafficking and labor trafficking.

The law prescribed penalties of 10 to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of 10 million to 15 million Rwandan francs ($6,790 to $10,185).

But the penalty increases to 20 to 25 years in prison and a fine of 20 million to 25 million Rwandan francs if the crime was transnational in nature.