It is noticeable that Rwanda’s political leadership is keen to show the outside world that it will take good care of the asylum seekers sent by Britain.
The agreement means that asylum seekers are sent to Rwanda where an asylum process takes place, but the United Kingdom bears the cost.
Long-term criticism
There is SEK 1.5 billion in the pot for Rwanda. Well-needed money because Rwanda’s multi-year growth has turned down with news.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame won the last election with 98.8 percent. A hard-to-digest figure, not least in view of the long-standing criticism from human rights organizations about political repression and the surrounding freedom of expression.
The only opposition in Rwanda’s parliament that has openly opposed the agreement is that Britain is trying to buy itself out of responsibility.
– Why do they not use all this money to ensure that asylum seekers settle in the UK. Instead of sending them to a country they did not ask to come to, says Jean Claude Ntezimana from the Green Party of Rwanda.
“See them as a family”
The Rwandan government prefers to talk about compassion and helping people in need.
– Especially if it is about people who come from Africa. We see them as a family, said President Paul Kagame in a recent speech.
At Hotel Desir, the corridors gap empty when operations manager Jackie Uwamungu takes me around. She gets a little worried when I tell her that the asylum seekers have been delayed due to an appeal. The hotels have had a hard time filling the rooms after the pandemic.
– We are really looking forward to them coming, she says.