Kigali has accused the UN refugee agency of lying during a British court case challenging the UK’s policy to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. UNHCR lawyers argued that Rwanda’s asylum system is inadequate and risks the transfer of asylum seekers to countries, under a banned process tagged refoulement, where they might face torture or death. The UNHCR’s case relies on evidence cited by the UK Supreme Court last year in a judgment that declared the UK’s plan as unlawful. However, Rwanda has refuted these claims, via a government spokesperson who accused the UNHCR of presenting fabricated allegations. The spokesperson alleged that the UNHCR is lying and pointed to the agency’s collaboration with East African nation to safely relocate African migrants from Libya as proof. The Rwandan government clarified that cases mentioned by UNHCR involved individuals with legal status in other countries but fell short of Rwanda’s entry requirements or those who left the country voluntarily.
SOURCE: MIDDLE EAST MONITOR