Rwanda’s opposition leader has said that Rwanda is not a safe country for asylum seekers to be sent from the UK.
Victoire Imgabire Umuhoza told Sky News this morning that the deal between Rwanda and the UK is “illegal” because the central African nation is “not a free country”.
It comes after the UK Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday last week that the government’s plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful.
The government has declared it is now seeking permission to appeal to the High Court.
Citing a Foreign Office report from July 2017 that said there are concerns around the lack of freedom of expression, Ms Umuhoza explained “The human rights situation in Rwanda is widely known”.
The 2017 report found the Rwandan government was responsible for “targeting of the opposition leaders and civil society organisations”.
The UK announced the controversial multimillion-pound deal to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda last year, but no deportation flights have so far gone ahead.
“The policy of this government is very simple, it is this country – and your government – who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs”, prime minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement following the appeals court ruling on Thursday. “And I will do whatever is necessary to make that happens”, he added.
“Rwanda is a safe country”, Mr Sunak argued. “The High Court agreed. The [United Nations refugee agency] have their own refugee scheme for Libyan refugees in Rwanda. We will now seek permission to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court”.
This morning, Ms Umuhoza also noted that the Home Office has given asylum to Rwandans who have fled over the last few years.
“I don’t understand how a democratic country, a rich country like the UK does not want to help refugees and wants to put this heavy burden on a poor country and a not democratic country like Rwanda”, she added.
Ms Umuhoza said she hopes last week’s court ruling will push the Rwandan government will take steps to improve political inclusion, human rights and protect the rule of law. The Rwandan government must begin “engaging with dissident voices”, she said.
She concluded: “Today, Rwanda is not ready or the right place to receive asylum seekers from a democratic and rich country like the UK”.
