Rwanda is finalising plans to host African asylum seekers that have been denied asylum in Israel.
President Paul Kagame confirmed media reports that Kigali is finalising a multimillion dollar deal that will see it host illegal immigrants that Israel intends to expel.
According to reports Israel, plans to relocate illegal immigrants to Rwanda and Uganda, which Kigali had denied knowledge of.
Uganda has also denied reports that it plans to accept the asylum seekers from Israel.
The agreement, which has come under scrutiny by human rights organizations, will see Israel deport hundreds of Eritrean and Sudanese asylum-seekers to both Rwanda in return for favourable deals that include millions of dollars in grants.
Israel’s Interior ministry confirmed this week in a statement that it will “expel immigrants from the detention centres” and encourage migrants “to leave Israel in a safe and respectable way” to targeted African countries that would grant them legal immigration rights.
Addressing a press conference in Kigali on Thursday, President Kagame said that there is an ongoing discussion between Rwanda and Israel, even though he does not have details regarding the progress.
“On Rwanda and Israel, yes, I know there has been this discussion and it has been a debate in Israel about these Africans who have migrated to Israel as they do to other European countries. Some of them are either there illegally or with different status,” he was quoted by the East African.
President Kagame said that Israel planned to return the immigrants to their countries of origin but some refused citing danger to their lives. He added that the Tel Aviv government suggested to them different countries including Rwanda where they would be relocated to.
“I do not know the details this far, what more or less that has happened to the issue,” the president said adding that he has learnt that “there is some package they (Israel) give them to leave, so we have been approached.”
Mr Kagame said the Rwandan immigration is handling the issue.
