In the night of June 11, 2024, the Office of the Government Spokesperson of Rwanda wrote that: “UNHCR should advance the rights of refugees instead of undermining Rwanda’s welcoming Policy.
The UNHCR is disseminating false information. The organization appears determined to present fabricated allegations to U.K. courts regarding Rwanda’s treatment of asylum seekers, despite partnering with us to safely relocate African migrants from Libya to Rwanda through the Emergency Transit Mechanism.
One case cited by the UNHCR involves a man denied asylum in the Seychelles. Following this decision, the UNHCR in South Africa unilaterally decided he should be granted asylum in Rwanda without consulting the Rwandan government or contacting us since.
This is just one example of several unfounded allegations made by the UNHCR. Another baseless claim is that Rwanda denied asylum to a group of Burundians, who, in reality, never claimed asylum but breached Rwandan immigration laws. This accusation is absurd, considering Rwanda currently shelters tens of thousands of Burundian refugees.
Other false claims involve individuals with legal status in other countries arriving in Rwanda without meeting entry requirements or claiming asylum, or individuals leaving Rwanda voluntarily. These instances are not refoulement. Rwanda does not refoule asylum seekers, as we have repeatedly asserted.
The UNHCR seems intent on undermining Rwanda’s safety record in U.K. courts. This is particularly astonishing given that Rwanda has binding agreements with the U.K. to process migrants and asylum seekers, reinforcing our proven record of providing refuge to those fleeing conflict.
Rwanda remains committed to upholding our obligations as signatories to the refugee convention. We will continue to offer safety and opportunity to those fleeing conflict, as we have done for the past thirty years.”
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