All the migrants in this place have fled the conflict, mainly in Sudan and Libya, staying in what should be temporary accommodation until they find asylum in a third country or work in Rwanda. The center, however, lies in a remote and arid corner of eastern Rwanda, where it lies on a plain of baked earth. a choked powder is easily lifted. Residents face an uneven, 20-minute drive only to reach the nearest paved road or almost two hours to reach the capital, Kigali.
“Strict traffic ban”
Despite official claims that the refugees are free to come and go as they please, AK-47 soldiers guard the gate and are patrolled by private security with batons, offering a constant air of imminent threat. It is said that there is a strict traffic ban. No asylum seekers sent from the UK are likely to be detained at the site, but the conditions there – which some describe as “traumatic” in a recent Telegraph survey – are likely to be similar to those they will eventually experience. Interviews with some of the more than 450 residents scattered throughout the area were closely monitored by a group of government officials. Although such control has forced refugees to remain polite to their hosts throughout, it is clear that they do not see their future in Rwanda. Nanda Abdullah, 32, left her homeland, Sudan, with her husband, leaving behind a life of horrific suffering.
