President Paul Kagame and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday, July 27, discussed collaboration between Rwanda and the United Kingdom in tackling illegal migration.
Kagame and Starmer, who met in Paris on the side-lines of the Olympic Games, “discussed their shared commitment to continue working together on solutions to tackle illegal migration,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Sunday.
“They agreed that it is a pressing global challenge, and breaking the business model of criminal gangs who profit from people’s suffering must be the priority.”
The meeting came less than one month after the new UK Prime Minister was reportedly suggested he would end a treaty signed by his predecessor to partner with Rwanda in tackling illegal migration affecting the European country.
Signed in December 2023 when Rishi Sunak was Prime Minister, the migration treaty sought to reinforce the Migration and Economic Development Partnership Agreement which was initiated in April 2022 between the two governments.
Under the partnership, asylum seekers arriving in the UK illegally would be sent to Rwanda where their claims would be considered. While in Rwanda, the asylum seekers would be supported socioeconomically and a special tribunal would be set up to handle their claims.
Starmer took over on July 5, after the Labour Party won elections and replaced the Conservative Party from the premiership.
Although it is not clear whether the treaty has been scrapped, the Rwandan government said in early July that it had taken note of the new UK Government’s intention to terminate it.
The Office of the Government Spokesperson said Rwanda had “fully upheld its side of the agreement,” adding that it was committed to providing safety and opportunities for refugees and migrants.
Rwanda reiterated that the partnership was an initiative of the UK Government, which sought “to address the crisis of irregular migration affecting the UK — a problem of the UK, not Rwanda.”
The UK-Rwanda partnership came about as the previous two UK governments sought to deter illegal migration, especially tens of thousands of people arriving in the UK illegally through the English Channel. They also sought to stop networks of criminal gangs that smuggle migrants into the UK.