Ruwanda ( Commonwealth Union ) _ In Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, workers are finishing the four-story Hope Hostel in order to welcome the first batch of British asylum seekers. Initially, the institution was built to provide shelter for child victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. But, after lying vacant and unused for a while, it is likely to be put back into service after the hostel was awarded contracts by Rwanda’s emergency management ministry to house people who were deported from the UK.
In a phone discussion on Monday, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed the migration collaboration and the necessity of impeding smugglers’ operations while attending to humanitarian issues.
According to the UK government, the program will discourage people from entering the country “illegally, dangerously, or unnecessary methods,” like small boats that cross the English Channel. The policy, according to critics, is cruel, impractical, expensive, and it increases the risk of human trafficking.
The number of people crossing has actually increased after the strategy was introduced in April 2022. The most visitors to the UK using this route were over 45,700 in 2022, according to data. Ninety percent of them submitted asylum requests.
It appears Rwanda has the necessary resources and personnel to welcome these British migrants now that the British government announced plans for a new rule on Tuesday that would prevent anyone from entering the country unlawfully, claiming asylum, or reentering in the future.
According to Bakinahe Ismail, manager of Hope House Hostel, “Our capacity is to accommodate roughly 100 guests, which implies that we have 50 twin rooms as well as other other services like computer room, prayer and entertainment area. We offer full-board lodging services.
One of the hostels designated by Rwandan authorities to house migrants is Hope House. The Rwandan government has already received about $170 million from the UK for the program.
Rwanda is receiving refugees from countries other than the UK. Over 130,000 people have come from Afghanistan, the neighbouring countries of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well. In recent years, individuals from Libya have also arrived, all as a result of an agreement with the UN High Commission for Refugees. Yet if the UK Prime Minister and Rwandan President’s statements are any indication, there is a mutual resolve to reverse this and make the plan effective. Whenever they are sent, the first arrivals can be expected in Rwanda.
