THE Rwanda could become a land of transit for migrants expelled from Europe. Kigali has hired “preliminary discussions” with several European states wishing to transfer people whose right to asylum has been rejected outside the Union, the Rwandan government told AFP on Friday. “We have started preliminary discussions with some European countries, but nothing has been decided yet”declared Yolande Makolo, government spokesperson, without revealing the identity of the states concerned. Questioned the day before by Rwandan radio Royal FM about possible negotiations with Italyshe had already confirmed the existence of “discussions”while ensuring that there was no “disagree” at this stage.
Kigali plans in particular to make available its Gashora transit center, in the east of the country. Since 2019, it has received several thousand migrants evacuated from Libya. Of the “families” could in particular “receive medical care, follow some form of training, rest”explained Yolande Makolo. Asylum applications could also be examined there before a possible return to the country of origin or resettlement in a third state. Rwanda had already concluded a controversial agreement in 2022 with the United Kingdom of Boris Johnson providing for the transfer to his territory of asylum seekers who arrived illegally across the Channel. Contested before the British courts, the device was finally declared “dead and buried” by Labor Keir Starmer after coming to power in 2024.
These new discussions take place in a European context that is now more favorable to the outsourcing of migration procedures. Adopted in June by the European Parliament, the “return payment” allows Member States to conclude agreements to set up detention centers in third countries. According to AFP, Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands were among the countries which studied this possibility in the spring with several states, including Rwanda.
