The United Kingdom and Rwanda signed a new treaty on Tuesday in an attempt to revive London’s controversial proposal to transfer migrants to the African country.
The agreement was signed by Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta and British Home Secretary James Cleverly in Kigali.
London is trying to save its project to send migrants to Rwanda. A first such project was censured last month in the UK Supreme Court.
The judges then backed a lower court ruling that the policy is incompatible with the UK’s international obligations as Rwanda could forcibly return migrants to places where they could face persecution.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed to persevere with the controversial project, assuring that the new treaty “addresses the concerns” raised in the Supreme Court ruling last month.
Although details of the new agreement are not available, according to British media it includes commitments from Rwanda regarding the treatment of asylum seekers and other migrants sent there.
“There is a lot of appetite for further improvement in the process. The UK and Rwanda are working on this because it is important,” Cleverly told a news conference in Kigali.
“Rwanda is very committed to this partnership and that is why we are working with the U.K. government to address the concerns raised by the Supreme Court,” Biruta added.
The London government says the agreement with Rwanda is crucial to deter “illegal” cross-Channel immigration from France in inflatable boats.
Nearly 30,000 have made the dangerous journey this year, compared with nearly 46,000 crossing in 2022.