KIGALI, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda said Monday it had taken note of the intention of the British government to terminate a treaty that it signed with the former government to enable London to send asylum seekers to the east African country.
The previous UK Conservative government and Rwanda signed the agreement in December in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, to facilitate the sending of some migrants who arrive in the UK across the English Channel to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed.
In his first press conference, the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would not continue with the previous government's policy to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, describing it as "gimmicks that don't act as a deterrent."
In a statement, Rwanda said it fully upheld its side of the deal.
"Rwanda has fully upheld its side of the agreement, including with regard to finances, and remains committed to finding solutions to the global migration crisis, including providing safety, dignity and opportunity to refugees and migrants who come to our country," said the statement issued by the office of the Rwandan government spokesperson.
Britain had offered an upfront investment of 120 million pounds (about 149.5 million U.S. dollars) to facilitate the implementation of the five-year deal, the Rwanda-UK Migration and Economic Development Partnership initiative, which had faced legal challenges in Britain, well before the victory of the Labour Party in the July 4 elections. ■