Rwanda accused the U.N. refugee agency of lying to a British court by claiming that asylum seekers sent to Rwanda could be transferred to states where they risked torture or death.
On Monday, lawyers for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) argued that Rwanda’s asylum system was inadequate in a challenge against the British government’s policy to deport asylum seekers there. They claimed that sending asylum seekers to Rwanda could lead to their transfer in a process known as refoulement, which the UK Supreme Court previously cited when ruling the British plan unlawful.
“UNHCR is lying,” said Rwanda’s government spokesperson in a statement on Tuesday, alleging that the organization was presenting false allegations about Rwanda’s treatment of asylum seekers while still partnering with Rwanda to relocate African migrants from Libya to safety.
A UNHCR spokesperson in Rwanda declined immediate comment.
Rwanda’s government contended that the cases cited by UNHCR involved individuals who either had legal status in other countries but failed to meet Rwanda’s entry requirements or who left Rwanda voluntarily.
The British government announced that the first flight to Rwanda was scheduled for July 24, contingent on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party winning the national elections on July 4. However, the opposition Labour Party, which leads by about 20 points in opinion polls, has pledged to cancel the plan if elected.
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