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- Rwanda is to receive 50 refugees in a fortnight before a meeting of Commonwealth heads.
- Boris Johnson calls them "illegal entrants into this country".
- Human Rights Watch raises concern about the rights of the LGBTI community and history of refugee abuses in Rwanda.
Rwanda will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) from 20 to 26 June having received 50 refugees, deported from the United Kingdom just weeks before the gathering.
The CHOGM, customarily held every two years, is the Commonwealth's highest consultative and policy-making gathering, bringing together 54 of the British Empire's former colonies and territories.
Last month, Kigali and London agreed that people suspected to have entered the UK unlawfully from 1 January this year would be deported to the east African country.
Despite widespread criticism, with critics accusing the UK of seeking to, "... rip up international obligations to asylum seekers", the two countries proceeded to seal the agreement.
In Rwanda, they will be allowed to apply for the right to settle.
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At the weekend British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that 50 people have been put on notice about their imminent deportation within the next two weeks.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Johnson described the 50 as, "illegal entrants into this country", and said those against the deportation decision were attempting to, "... thwart the will of the people, the will of parliament."
Before announcing the first group to be deported, Johnson's administration issued an information note on Rwanda, in which it said, "There are not substantial grounds for believing that a person if relocated [to Rwanda], would face a real risk of being subjected to treatment that is likely to be contrary to Article 3 [of the European Convention on Human Rights]."
Article 3 of the ECHR is a universal declaration providing that, "... everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person".
Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the British government was "cherry-picking" facts to suit their agenda.
"The report [country assessment] was expected to downplay human rights violations in Rwanda. After all, the government couldn't ship off vulnerable people seeking protection with a one-way ticket to a partner they regard as abusive. But it goes even further, cherry-picking facts, or ignoring them completely, to bolster a foregone conclusion," HRW said.
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The report also states that, "... notwithstanding some restrictions on freedom of speech and/or freedom of association", there are, "... not substantial grounds", for believing refugees would be mistreated. This conclusion is hard to square with Rwanda's past treatment of refugees, HRW said.
Rwanda does not recognise same-sex marriages, civil unions, or similar unions, and as such asylum seekers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTI) orientation could face discrimination.
The UK Home Office acknowledges there's, "... evidence of discrimination and intolerance towards persons based on their sexual orientation and gender identity or expression", in Rwanda but maintains that the abuses are "not serious".
In 2018, Rwanda officials killed 12 Congolese refugees during a protest over cuts in food rations, and police arrested over 60 others. The HRW reported that between October 2018 and September 2019, at least 35 refugees were sentenced to between three months and 15 years in prison for a range of crimes, including stealing rations, inciting others and even for talking to HRW about their conditions.
The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
