Five hundred migrants who were evacuated to Rwanda from Libyan detention centres have been offered resettlement by Norway.
Norwegian Justice Minister Joeran Kallmyr was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying, Norway would take in an additional 100 of the migrants by the end of the year.
“It’s important to me to show that we don’t support cynical people smugglers, and instead bring in people who need protection in an organised manner. A transit camp like the one in Rwanda will contribute to that effort,” Mr Kallmyr said.
Sweden has already taken in seven migrants, The New Times, a pro-Rwandan government newspaper, quotes Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta as saying.
Rwanda signed an agreement last year with the UN refugee agency and the African Union to resettle migrants who had become trapped in dangerous conditions in Libya while trying to reach Europe.
The rescued migrants are staying at Gashora transit centre, about 55km (34 miles) south of the capital, Kigali. They are mainly Eritrean and Somali nationals. (Source: BBC)