KIGALI, Rwanda — Rwanda says it is ready to receive migrants from the United Kingdom after the British Parliament this week approved a controversial and stalled bill that seeks to stem the tide of people crossing the English Channel in small boats by deporting some of them to East African country.
There’s even a place ready and waiting for migrants: a renovated Hope Hostel in the vibrant and exclusive neighborhood of Kagugu, an area of Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, that is home to many expats and several international schools.
The hostel once housed university students whose parents died in the 1994 genocide, the most horrific period in the African nation’s history, when an estimated 800,000 Tutsis were killed by Hutu extremists in massacres that lasted more than 100 days.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised that deportation flights would begin in July, but declined to provide details or say how many people would be deported.
Rwandan government deputy spokesman Alain Mukuralinda told The Associated Press on Tuesday that authorities here have been planning the migrants’ arrival for two years.
“Even if they arrive now or tomorrow, all arrangements are in place,” he said.
The plan was long held up in the British courts and faced opposition from human rights activists who consider it illegal and inhumane. It plans to deport some of those entering the UK illegally to Rwanda and migrant advocates have vowed to continue fighting the plan.
The measure is also intended to be a deterrent to migrants who risk their lives on leaky inflatable boats in the hope of being able to claim asylum once they arrive in Britain. The UK also signed a new treaty with Rwanda to strengthen migrant protection and adopted new legislation declaring Rwanda a safe country.
“Rwanda critics and UK judges who previously said Rwanda is not a safe country have been proven wrong,” Mukuralinda said. “Rwanda is safe.”
The management of the four-story Hope Hostel says the facility is ready and can accommodate 100 people at full capacity. The government says it will serve as a transit hub and more accommodation will be made available as needed.
Thousands of immigrants arrive in Britain every year.
After arriving from Britain, the migrants will be taken to their rooms to rest, after which they will be offered food and given some orientation points about Kigali and Rwanda, said hostel manager Ismael Bakina.
Tents will be installed within the hostel premises to process your documentation and hold various information sessions. The site is equipped with security cameras, visible throughout the premises.
Within the premises there are also entertainment venues, a mini-soccer field, a basketball and volleyball court, as well as a prayer room with a red carpet. For those who want to smoke, “there is even a smoking room,” explains Bakina.
Meals will be prepared in the shelter’s main kitchen, but provisions are also being made for those who want to prepare their own meals, he said. Migrants will be able to walk freely outside the shelter and even visit the nearby city center of Kigali.
“We will have different translators, depending on (their) languages,” Bakina added, saying they include English and Arabic.
The government has said immigrants will have their documents processed within the first three months. Those who want to remain in Rwanda will be allowed to do so, while the authorities will also assist those who wish to return to their home countries.
While in Rwanda, migrants who gain legal status (presumably for Britain) will also be prosecuted, authorities have said, although it is unclear what exactly that means.
For those who decide to stay, Mukurilinda said the Rwandan government will assume all financial and other responsibilities for five years, after which they will be considered integrated into society.
At that point, they can start to fend for themselves.
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