He says that the agreement signed between the two countries could still be applied and even implemented with other countries.
Le Monde with AFP
Rwandan president Paul Kagame estimated Tuesday, June 21 that the controversial agreement with London to accommodate illegal migrants expelled from the United Kingdom could still be applied and put in place with other countries, the asylum system being “defective”.
The British government has decided to send asylum seekers who arrived in the country to Rwanda, saying wanting to slow down the illegal crossings of the Channel. But the first flight was blocked on June 14 by an emergency decision of the European Court of Human Rights.
“I think this agreement is still in force and could be implemented,” said Paul Kagame as videoconference during Qatar Economic Forum in Doha. “We are not novices on the subject,” continued the Rwandan president, recalling that his country has welcomed more than 100,000 refugees for decades. “Most Rwandans have experienced the experience of being refugees at some point in their lives. We know what it means and we do for the right reasons,” he said.
Paul Kagame notably mentioned the reception of more than 1,000 Libyans in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “The agreement with the United Kingdom is linked to this experience. There is no doubt that the asylum system is defective and that it needs innovative solutions and we are happy to contribute to these solutions,” said The Rwandan President, considering that it could be adopted by other countries.
Very criticized by the UN and NGOs, the London project to send to Rwanda (more than 6,000 kilometers) of asylum seekers who arrived in the United Kingdom is very popular within the electorate conservative. The East African country welcomes the Commonwealth summit on Friday and Saturday.