Rwanda Welcomes British Home Secretary, To Hasten Deportation Deal

Rwandan authorities greeted the arrival on Saturday of British Home Secretary Suella Braverman on a two-day trip to the country in a bid to accelerate the implementation of a controversial deal to send migrants arriving by boat in the UK to the East African country.

The deportation agreement announced last year allows the UK authorities to send asylum seekers to Rwanda while their claims are being processed.

Although no illegal migrants have been sent to the East African country, Britain has already paid Rwanda $170 million under the agreement.

This week, the UK government also unveiled the Illegal Migration Bill, its toughest measure yet, which calls for people who enter the country illegally to be detained, deported to their home country or a safe third country, and barred from ever returning.

Thousands of migrants from all over the world travel to northern France each year in the hope of reaching the United Kingdom, drawn by family ties, the English language, or the perceived ease of finding work.