Rwandan President Paul Kagame said on Tuesday that the controversial agreement with London to obtain deported illegal immigrants from the UK could still apply, and that it would apply to other countries in view of the “shortcomings” presented by the asylum system.
The British government has decided to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.The first plane was intercepted on June 14 by an emergency ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, claiming it wanted to prevent illegal crossings of the English Channel.
Rwanda has prepared a historic hotel to welcome deported refugees from the UK
“I think the deal is still in place and can be applied,” Kagame said in a video conference at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha.
“We are not new to this,” continued the Rwandan president, recalling that his country has welcomed more than 100,000 refugees over the decades.
“Most Rwandans have had the experience of being refugees at some point in their lives.. We know what it is and we do it for the right reasons, ”he added.
Paul Kagame mentions the welcome of more than 1,000 Libyans in conjunction with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“The agreement with the UK is linked to this experience. There are flaws in the asylum system and there is no doubt that innovative solutions are needed, and we are happy to contribute to these solutions.“The President of Rwanda has said that it is hoped that this will be accepted by other countries.
Criticized extensively by the UN and NGOs, London’s plan to send asylum seekers illegally into the UK to Rwanda (over 6,000 kilometers) has become very popular with Conservative voters.
The East African country hosts the Commonwealth Conference on Fridays and Saturdays.
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