Rwanda's president defends his country's refugee track record

In a virtual address to the Global Security Forum in Qatar, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame on Wednesday defended his country’s track record in assisting refugees.

Human rights activists and others have criticised a new British law that will see Kigali paid for receiving illegal asylum seekers deported from the United Kingdom.

Kagame said the issue of hosting migrants was not new to Rwanda and started way before its deal with the UK.

“In fact, even today, we are processing migrants who are stuck in Libya who are trying to cross into Europe and got stuck there, or others who are dying in the Mediterranean,” he said.

Kagame said providing a “safe haven” for people to Rwanda or be "processed through the country to wherever they wanted to go", dates as far back as 2018.

“At that time, we had no agreement with anyone, so there wasn't even anyone going to pay for it except ourselves. But people worked for migration institutions, international institutions, or UNHCR and so on,” he said.

“Since 2018, hundreds and thousands of people have been brought by air from Libya to Rwanda. This is what the UK, I think noticed. That there was another way of dealing with this problem,” he added.

Britain’s parliament passed the new legislation to send some migrants to Rwanda in April, clearing the runway for flights this European summer.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ’s controversial plan is aimed at deterring risky English Channel crossings by people desperate to reach the UK.

Human rights activists and migrants’ groups have vowed to continue the fight against the policy, which they say is unethical and inhumane.

The forum, at which delegates discussed issues related to supply chain management, energy security, high-end semiconductors, and food security, ended on Wednesday.