KIGALI, Rwanda
Rwanda said on Monday that it "takes note" of the decision by the new Labour government in Britain to scrap a controversial deal to deport asylum seekers to the East African country.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer
had announced on Saturday that the migrant plan, forged by the ousted
Conservative government, was "dead
and buried."
There had already been a spate
of legal challenges to the scheme, with the UK Supreme Court in November last
year ruling that it was illegal under international law.
"Rwanda takes note of the
intention of the UK Government to terminate the Migration and Economic
Development Partnership Agreement, as provided for under the terms of the
Treaty passed by both our Parliaments," the office of government spokesperson
Yolande Makolo said in a statement.
"This partnership was
initiated by the Government of the UK in order to address the crisis of
irregular migration affecting the UK – a problem of the UK, not Rwanda,"
the statement said.
"Rwanda has fully upheld
its side of the agreement, including with regard 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 to
our country."
The Labour Party said before
the July 4 election that it would ditch the scheme, which the Conservative
government had said was designed to deter huge numbers of migrants trying to
get across the Channel to the UK on boats from northern France.
Earlier this year, former
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had pushed through legislation in parliament that
deems Rwanda a safe country, allowing the migrant flights to go ahead despite
concerns about human rights laws.
Immigration has become an
increasingly central political issue since the UK left the European Union in
2020, largely on a promise to "take back control" of the country's
borders.
Rwanda, home to 13 million
people in Africa's Great Lakes region, claims to be one of the most stable
countries on the continent and has drawn praise for its modern infrastructure.
But rights groups accuse
veteran President Paul Kagame of ruling in a climate of fear, stifling dissent
and free speech.
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