Rwanda: UNHCR Response to Media Inquiries Related to the UK-Rwanda Asylum Partnership

12 June 2024
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has repeatedly commended Rwanda for generously hosting thousands of refugees and for its commitment to receive, on a temporary basis, asylum-seekers evacuated from Libya through the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM).

Yesterday, media reports mentioned a written statement produced by UNHCR in connection with the current litigation concerning the UK-Rwanda partnership., UNHCR applied to intervene, as friend of the court, in line with our mandate to supervise the application of the 1951 Refugee Convention worldwide.

UNHCR has been consistently clear on its concerns regarding the serious risks that 'externalization' poses to refugees, including refoulement, and finds that the UK-Rwanda Asylum partnership shifts responsibility for making asylum decisions and for protecting refugees. UNHCR will not be commenting further at this stage as litigation related to the UK-Rwanda partnership remains before the courts.

UNHCR reiterates its commitment to work closely with the Government of Rwanda, as part of its mandated responsibilities.

Read the original article on UNHCR.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2024 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.