Rwanda's government says it is "pleased" about the UK's decision to pass a bill allowing to send irregular asylum seekers to the African country. But many, including the UN, continue to express concern about the policy.
With the final passing of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act after a long marathon between the two houses of parliament in the UK, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that deportation flights of asylum seekers to the small African nation would start in the coming weeks.
"We are ready, plans are in place and these flights will go, come what may," Sunak said at a press conference.
Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo meanwhile said on Tuesday that Kigali was also "pleased" to learn about the UK decision to pass a bill allowing irregular immigrants in the country to be sent to the African country for processing and, if they succeed, for relocation.
According to Makolo, the government is looking forward to "welcoming those relocated to Rwanda."
But top UN officials, including UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, have criticized London's plans, warning that this could establish a "dangerous precedent."
According to media reports, not everyone is enthused about the development in Kigali, either.
The opposition United Democratic Forces of Rwanda (UDF) party expressed concerns about the bill, as have various human rights organizations on the ground.
While some believe that the country's economy will benefit from the policy, with the UK paying Rwanda a reported €430 million over five years at the very least, others are worried that there won't be enough jobs to go around for everyone.
The idea of the Rwanda bill was first introduced by former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022, and has since been carried forward by two other prime ministers and as many Home Secretaries.
The bill is part of the UK's strict approach to irregular immigration since its departure from the European Union (EU), commonly referred to as Brexit.
Incumbent Prime Minister Rishi Sunak extended the Rwanda plan into his "Stop the Boats" policy, which is intended to curb the number of irregular migrant arrivals on British shores departing from the north of France and Belgium.
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.