The lower house of the United Kingdom's parliament, the House of Commons, on Wednesday, in the final reading, voted in favor of the bill to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda.
UK lawmakers backed the bill in a 320-to-276 vote, according to the parliament's website.
Rwanda Aimed to Offer UK Migrant Scheme Money Back If Sunak’s Plan Fails
Rwandan President Paul Kagame confirmed Wednesday that his government would consider a UK request for a refund if UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to send asylum seekers to the eastern African country fell through in the Parliament.
The British media cited the UK government as saying that about 240 million pounds ($304 million) had been paid to Rwanda as part of the asylum deal. Some of this money was reportedly used to fund infrastructure projects.
"The money is going to be used on those people who will come. If they don’t come we can return the money," Kagame told the British media on the sidelines of the Davos economic forum when asked about a possible refund.
This reportedly marks a shift in Rwanda’s position. A government spokesperson said earlier in the day that the African nation had no obligation to repay the money under the terms of its agreement with the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom and Rwanda signed a migration agreement in 2022, under which people identified by the UK government as undocumented migrants or asylum seekers will be deported to Rwanda for processing, asylum and resettlement.
The plan has drawn criticism from human rights organizations and some politicians, who believe the measure will not help stem the flow of migrants. The first deportation of migrants from the UK to Rwanda was scheduled to take place on June 14, 2022. However, the flight was canceled at the last minute due to the European Court of Human Rights ruling.