The Rwandan government on Wednesday said it was not deterred by the cancellation of the first flight to deport asylum workers from the United Kingdom to Rwanda because of legal challenges, reported The Africa News.
“We are not discouraged by these developments,” government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo told AFP.
She said despite the flight cancelation, Rwanda is fully committed to working to make the partnership with the UK government work.
“The current situation, in which people are making dangerous journeys, cannot continue as it is causing untold suffering to so many people,” she added.
The Rwandan government spokeswoman said that the country stands ready to welcome the migrants when they arrive and to offer them safety and opportunities.
The flight was due to take off from Britain to Rwanda on Tuesday night, but it was canceled after a last-minute ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
The UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said it was very surprising that the European Court of Human Rights intervened despite repeated earlier success in the country’s domestic courts. Patel said the UK government would not be deterred in its deportation plans and would prepare for the next flight.
The Rwandan government announced the deal with the Britain government in April. As part of the deal, those people granted asylum would then be allowed to resettle in Rwanda. The government insisted the program was aimed at disrupting people-smuggling networks and deterring migrants from making the dangerous sea journey across the Channel to England from France.
The UK government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda on a flight on Tuesday had been heavily criticized by opponents, charities, and religious leaders who said the deportations were inhumane. The government was even forced to fight a number of legal challenges in London courts aimed at stopping the flight from departing.
