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Prime Minister of England and President of Rwanda held a phone conversation to discuss illegal migration

illegal African migrants
  • The UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame recently held a phone conversation to discuss an issue that affects both counties.
  • They spoke about the current migration issue and how the UK plans to mitigate the current illegal migration issues. 
  • However, the UK’s plan to solve the illegal migration issue has been met with some resistance. 

On Monday night, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke by phone with President Paul Kagame about the controversial plan to send migrants to Rwanda. The conversation centered on how both countries could collaborate to disrupt smuggling while addressing humanitarian concerns.

According to s statement from Downing Street, the resident, and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the conversation between both leaders entailed their verbal commitments to maintaining both countries’ diplomatic and beneficial relations. The statement reads in part, "the leaders committed to continue working together to ensure this important partnership is delivered successfully."

According to the same statement, the leaders also discussed the rising violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and international initiatives to encourage a long-term peaceful settlement of the conflict.

The new legislation, which is scheduled to be unveiled on Tuesday, is anticipated to make citizenship and asylum claims from people who enter the UK on small boats inadmissible. These people would then be deported to a third country and prohibited from doing either of those things again or returning.

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There is no information available on how the policy would be put into practice, and other attempts to tighten processes, like the Rwanda policy, have run into legal problems. But, unions have cautioned that the initiatives may actually hasten short-term illegal crossings.

Still, on the subject of migration, the UK government's intention to transfer certain asylum seekers to Rwanda was met with resistance, Despite the idea being upheld by the British High Court in December 2022.

Also, it is worth noting that the UK government's plan to tackle small boat crossings is impractical, having the potential to trap thousands in a pandemonuim, order force unions, and refugee campaigners have said.

The plan's detractors have contended that it violates human rights rules as Rwanda is not necessarily considered a secure location for asylum seekers. According to the American news agency, Reuters, the British government will reveal on Tuesday its proposals for a new rule that would prevent anyone who enters the country illegally from requesting asylum.

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