KIGALI, Rwanda

Rwanda and the UK inked a major deal on Thursday under which Britain will send some asylum seekers to the East African country.

The agreement was signed by visiting UK Home Secretary Priti Patel and Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta in the capital city Kigali.

Britain said it is a plan to end illegal people smuggling across the English Channel.

Under the five-year program, migrants from the UK will be integrated into communities across Rwanda, where they will be entitled to full protection under Rwanda’s law, equal access to employment, and enrolment in healthcare and social care services, according to officials.

“The relocation applies to illegal entries into the UK. Criminal gangs are facilitating people into Europe, resulting in loss of lives. The relocation will help the asylum seekers to resettle and rebuild their lives. Global systems have failed to address the migration crisis,” Patel told reporters at a news conference in Kigali.

Without disclosing the number of asylum seekers to be relocated, she said the deal will help control the UK’s borders, describing it as the “biggest overhaul of our immigration system in decades.”

She added: “This agreement illustrates that we can no longer accept the status quo, people are dying. Last year, more than 28,000 migrants and refugees on boats crossed from mainland Europe to Britain, a very dangerous situation.”

The partnership will disrupt the business model of organized crime gangs and deter migrants from putting their lives at risk, she said.

The UK has earmarked an upfront investment of £120 million ($156.9 million) to facilitate the implementation of the agreement, said Patel, who hailed the deal as “a major milestone.”

The funding will be injected in opportunities for the development of migrants and Rwandans in areas of secondary qualifications, vocational and skills training, language lessons, and higher education.

Unique approach to address global migration crisis

Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta acclaimed the deal as a truly unique approach to address the global migration crisis.

“The move will address the imbalance in global opportunities which drives illegal migration. The partnership will address the urgent humanitarian crisis by tackling its roots,” he said.

Biruta said Rwanda is committed to international cooperation and partnership on migration, in particular the opportunities that a robust protection system as well as a comprehensive human capital investment program can create for migrants and development of the host country.

“There is a global responsibility to prioritize the safety and well-being of migrants, and Rwanda welcomes this partnership with the UK to host asylum seekers and migrants, and offer them legal pathways to residence.

“This is about ensuring that people are protected, respected, and empowered to further their own ambitions and settle permanently in Rwanda if they choose,” he said.

Biruta also said asylum seekers from Rwanda’s neighboring countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi would not be eligible.

Rwandan opposition criticizes deal

The agreement drew criticism from the Rwandan opposition, though.

Opposition Democratic Green Party of Rwanda said it supports welcoming refugees who have chosen Rwanda as their first destination but not those who chose to go to the UK or other European countries.

“We think that rich countries including the UK should not shift their international obligation to receive refugees and transfer them to third countries just because they have the money to influence and enforce their will,” the party said in a statement.

It also said the relocation is not a sustainable situation, adding that the UK should own up its international obligation on the migration issues.

“Rwanda has already a high population density in Africa and already land is not sufficient for us all, with a lot of land conflicts and competition for the natural resources. Taking on migrants from the UK will increase the land burden and survival challenges for the limited natural resources available,” the party said.