The United Kingdom, after agreement, begins to send migrants and asylum seekers to Rwanda

Migrants gather, brought to port by the UK Border Force after being picked up crossing the English Channel from France, on April 14, 2022, in the marina of Dover, on the southeast coast of England.

AFP - GLYN KIRK

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1 min

Last month, British Home Secretary Priti Patel signed an agreement in Kigali, Rwanda, to deter illegal Channel crossings.

Today, the program is set up with the first shipments of migrants.

The British Prime Minister affirmed, in an interview with the

Daily Mail

 on Saturday May 14, that 50 migrants who arrived illegally in the territory will be sent to Rwanda.

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With our correspondent in London,

Sidonie Gaucher

Despite the criticism, the United Kingdom is preparing to launch its new immigration program which consists of sending tens of thousands of asylum seekers 5,000 km away, to Rwanda.

This agreement called "economic development partnership" was signed between London and Kigali last April, so that migrants and asylum seekers in the United Kingdom are sent to camps, while their file is processed. . 

Under the £120m (€142m) scheme, people deemed to have entered the UK illegally will be sent to the East African country where they are encouraged to apply the right to settle there.

This project has aroused outraged reactions from human rights associations and even some Conservative MPs.

Indeed, this project contradicts the Geneva Convention for refugees, yet signed by the United Kingdom.

Read also: The United Kingdom wants to send its asylum seekers to Rwanda to discourage illegal immigrants

Despite this, Boris Johnson remained on his position, declaring that the first 50 " 

illegal arrivals in this country

 " have already been warned that they will be sent to Rwanda within a fortnight. 

Working from home doesn't work, Boris Johnson has declared as he calls for a return to the office https://t.co/ktgs08Zeav

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) May 14, 2022

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