Britain plans to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda

Rwanda announced on Thursday that it had signed a multi-million dollar deal with Britain to host asylum seekers and migrants to the UK, as part of the British government's attempts to control illegal immigration.

In a statement issued during a visit to the British Home Secretary, Priti PatelRwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vincent PerrotaRwanda welcomes this new partnership with the UK to welcome asylum seekers and migrants and provide them with legal channels to reside" in this African country.

British Prime Minister, Boris Johnsonannounced at a press conference in London the new approach to processing asylum applications. He said he had drawn up a  "state-of-the-art asylum solution  "which would protect the UK's borders, stop the smuggling of illegal migrants and re-establish legal immigration control. He added: "We can provide the support all those who come here need to rebuild their lives, integrate and prosper. In return for this generosity, we must not allow a parallel and illegal system to continue." And he added: "Our compassion may be unlimited, but our ability to help people is not."

The exact details of this project have not yet been published, but sending asylum seekers to Rwanda will mainly involve unmarried adult men.

The Rwandan government asserted that migrants "are entitled to full protection under Rwandan law and equal access to work and enrollment in health and welfare services."

The agreement with Rwanda comes after three years of promises by the Minister of the Interior to transfer asylum applications to third countries, and after the failure to conclude agreements with Albania and Ghana.