British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended Thursday, June 22 in Kigali the controversial agreement on the expulsion of migrants from the United Kingdom to Rwanda, calling on opponents of the project to "
keep an open mind
".
Read alsoLondon intends to deport its migrants to Rwanda
The head of the British government arrived Thursday morning in the Rwandan capital, where he is due to participate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on Friday and Saturday.
“
People need to keep an open mind about the (expulsion) scheme, critics need to keep an open mind about the scheme
,” Boris Johnson told reporters on the sidelines of a visit to a school in Kigali.
"
What people need to understand, what critics of the program need to understand, (...) is that Rwanda has undergone a total transformation over the past two decades
," he stressed.
Popular agreement among conservatives
Very popular among the conservative electorate, London's plan to send asylum seekers who arrived illegally in the United Kingdom to Rwanda has been condemned by numerous human rights NGOs and the UN.
The Anglican Church called it "
immoral
".
According to the British press, Prince Charles is also opposed to this device, which he privately described as “
appalling
”.
Boris Johnson said he was "
obviously
" ready to assert "
the obvious merits
" of the text in front of the heir to the British Crown, also present in Kigali for the CHOGM where he will represent his mother Elizabeth II.
Like Prince Charles the day before, the Prime Minister was received Thursday morning by President Paul Kagame.
The two leaders notably discussed this "
UK/Rwanda Partnership on Migration and Economic Development, which tackles dangerous smuggling gangs while offering a chance to build a new life in a safe country
", Downing Street said in a statement.
"Stereotype"
No migrant has so far been deported under this program, after the first plane to Kigali was blocked at the last minute on June 14 by a decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The British government presented a bill to Parliament on Wednesday to override the ECHR.
From Kigali, Boris Johnson accused his critics of basing their concerns on "
a perception, perhaps a stereotype, of Rwanda which is now outdated
".
The small East African country has experienced spectacular economic development since the end of the 1994 genocide, earning it the nickname "
Singapore of Africa
", but is regularly criticized for its rights policy. people and civil liberties.
Upstream of CHOGM, 23 human rights NGOs recalled in an open letter their “
serious concerns
” regarding human rights in the country.
“
Editorialists, journalists, opposition activists and others who speak out on the news and criticize public policies continue to face abusive prosecutions, enforced disappearances or sometimes died in suspicious circumstances
” , she pointed out.
They felt that the Commonwealth was putting its credibility at risk by holding its summit in Kigali.
Read alsoMigrants: how the relocation of asylum seekers is systemic in Rwanda
The next two days should notably give rise to a showdown over the direction of the organization, currently led by Patricia Scotland.
The Commonwealth brings together 54 Member States including 15 kingdoms, often former territories of the British Empire, and covers 2.6 billion people, or one third of humanity.
