After a prolonged battle in the courts and in Parliament, Britain’s Conservative government secured passage of legislation on Monday that is intended to allow the country to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. The Hope Hostel neighbourhood on the outskirts of Kigali bustles with street sellers, moto taxis and imposing villas will be the new home of migrants brought in from the UK. According to its managing director, Ismael Bakina, the hostel has 50 double rooms, which can host up to 100 guests. Initially, the hostel had a different purpose. Until two years ago, it housed survivors of the 1994 genocide. For now, the hostel sits empty, awaiting the political process in the UK to reach a conclusion. A Rwandan government spokesperson said asylum seekers from the UK would receive training and be introduced to the job market. But Rwandans face an employment crisis with 15 percent of the labour force unemployed in 2023, according to the World Bank, and the youth unemployment rate was even higher at more than 20 percent.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA | THE NEW YORK TIMES
