Supreme Court ruling is an insult to my country, Rwandan government blasts
THIS week, the Supreme Court’s highly political judgement on the Migration and Economic Development Partnership was frankly insulting to my country.
If you just read the UNHCR’s evidence, you would be forgiven for thinking that they believe Rwanda was dangerous for refugees.
Judges based their decision on inaccurate evidence submitted from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Yet, the UNHCR continues to partner with us to evacuate asylum seekers from terrible situations in Libya.
In fact, the 15th such flight landed in Kigali the day after the judgement.
These 169 new arrivals join more than 1700 others relocated from Libya, and another 130,000 refugees who we currently care for in Rwanda.
The UNHCR has even called our treatment of refugees and asylum seekers ‘exemplary’.
So, why the hypocrisy? Campaigners have demonised Rwanda just because they don’t like the policy.
For Rwandans, to be attacked for caring for asylum seekers and migrants and helping to tackle the problem of a global imbalance in opportunity, is hard to understand and even harder to accept, especially when these claims are false and misleading.
The UNHCR alleged that Rwanda has a 100 per cent rejection rate of asylum seekers from some parts of the world. This is dishonest.
A total of two individuals from Syria and Yemen were indeed not considered for asylum because there was a quicker path to legal residence.
They currently living and working, with their families in Rwanda.
Under the MEDP, anyone who comes to Rwanda will be offered a path to residence and a chance to build a life here, regardless of whether their asylum claims are found to be valid or not.
Some question our motives. To be clear, we’re doing this because we believe migrants don’t need to make dangerous journeys to Europe to succeed.
We want to offer them a home in Africa and build decent prospects here. But for this to happen, we need investment to help unlock the potential of our continent and our people.
This is why this partnership includes support for economic development – as you’re never going to solve the problem of economic migration without bringing more opportunities and more hope to more of the world.
If you want to criticise the MEDP go ahead. But don’t attack Rwanda. And certainly, don’t use lies to do so. That’s out of order.
As a country offering safety, opportunity and a home to those most in need, Rwanda deserves better.