Rwanda expressed indifference on Tuesday to the UK’s new government canceling their migrant deal, stating that Rwanda was merely trying to assist the UK with its issue.
The Rwandan government noted in a statement that the agreement was made with the previous Conservative government to address the UK’s irregular immigration crisis—a problem specific to the UK, not Rwanda.
This statement came after new UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the deportation plan was “dead and buried.”
The five-year Rwanda-UK Migration and Economic Development Partnership Initiative, signed in April 2022, aimed to transfer undocumented immigrants from the UK to Rwanda.
Most of these migrants were those entering the UK via the English Channel using small boats.
In exchange, Rwanda was set to receive R8.5 billion from the UK’s Economic Transformation and Integration Fund (ETIF) to support its economic growth. The UK government confirmed that Rwanda had already received R5 billion under this fund.
There was no obligation for Rwanda to repay the money. However, future payments were contingent on the number of individuals relocated.
If a relocated individual chose to leave Rwanda voluntarily, the UK would cease payments for that person but would provide Rwanda with a one-time fee of about R232,000 to facilitate the voluntary departure.
So far, only five asylum seekers had been relocated to Rwanda, with the first major flights scheduled for July 24, pending a Conservative victory.
Rwanda affirmed that it had fulfilled its part of the agreement and would continue to assist with the global migration crisis as needed.
It’s government said:
Rwanda has fully upheld its side of the agreement, including with regards to finances, and remains committed to finding solutions to the global migration crisis, including providing safety, dignity and opportunity to refugees and migrants who come into our country.
Rwanda currently hosts over 127,000 refugees and asylum seekers, with 90% residing in five refugee camps: Kiziba, Nyabiheke, Kigeme, Mugombwa, and Mahama, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Rwanda also participates in the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) with the UNHCR. Between September 2019 and February this year, more than 2,000 refugees and asylum seekers were evacuated from Libya to Rwanda through 17 ETM flights.
These refugees and asylum seekers primarily come from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Chad.
