FALCON POWERS – The hostel, which once housed students whose parents died in the 1994 genocide, is preparing to house the migrants sent to Rwanda from the UK.
Rwanda says it’s ready to receive migrants from the United Kingdom after the British parliament this week approved a long-stalled controversial bill deporting people who arrived in the UK via small boats to the East African country.
Hope Hostel in the vibrant upscale neighbourhood of Kagugu, an area of the Rwandan capital of Kigali that is home to many expats and several international schools, is prepared to receive the migrants.
The hostel was once home to students whose parents were victims of the 1994 genocide, the most horrific period in this African nation’s history. During this time, extremist Hutu killed an estimated 800,000 Tutsi in massacres that spanned over 100 days.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged the deportation flights would begin in July but has refused to provide details or say how many people would be deported.
Rwanda government’s deputy spokesperson Alain Mukuralinda told The Associated Press on Tuesday that authorities here have been planning for the migrants’ arrival for two years.
“Even if they arrive now or tomorrow, all arrangements are in place,” he said.
The management at the Hope Hostel says the facility is ready and can accommodate 100 people at full capacity. The government says it will function as a transit center and additional accommodations will be provided as necessary.
Upon their arrival from Britain, the migrants will be shown to their rooms to rest, after which they will be offered food and given some orientation points about Kigali and Rwanda, said hostel manager Ismael Bakina.
Tents will be set up within the hostel’s compound for processing their documentation and for various briefings. The site is equipped with security cameras, visible across the compound.
Within the compound are also entertainment places, a mini-football field, a basketball and a volleyball court as well as a red-carpeted prayer room. “There is even a smoking room,” Bakina explained.
The government has said the migrants will have their papers processed within the first three months. Those who want to remain in Rwanda will be allowed to do so while authorities will also assist those who wish to return to their home countries.
While in Rwanda, migrants who obtain legal status will also be processed, authorities have said despite not clarifying how.
For those who choose to stay, Mukurilinda said Rwanda’s government will bear full financial and other responsibilities for five years, after which they will be considered integrated into the society.
The measure has attracted widespread controversy and has been condemned by various human rights groups as inhumane. The Council of Europe human rights commissioner questioned the legality of the scheme.
Sunak has said that the bill is crucial to stop the stem of migrants who arrive in the UK on small boats via the English Channel.
The UK has signed a new treaty with Rwanda to beef up protections for migrants, and adopted new legislation declaring Rwanda a safe country.
