The British asylum plan defended by the Rwandan Anglican archbishop
By The Bharat Express News:
The Anglican Archbishop of Rwanda says he disagrees with senior Church of England leaders over the UK’s asylum plan.
Earlier this week they said the policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda “puts Britain to shame”.
But Bishop Laurent Mbanda said it was not immoral and that Rwanda was ready to welcome those in need of accommodation.
He said many Rwandans had lived in exile because of the genocide in the 1990s, so they understood the problems faced by people fleeing their homes.
Under the terms of the five-year deal, Rwanda becomes responsible for asylum seekers who have made it to the UK. They will be housed and supported while their application is processed – and if they are granted permanent refugee status, they will remain in Rwanda.
If unsuccessful, they will be offered the opportunity to apply for other immigration pathways, but could be expelled from the country.
So far no one has been sent to Rwanda from the UK. A flight that was to take asylum seekers was canceled before takeoff, following a last-minute intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Anglican churches in Africa have an increasingly strained relationship with their parent church over biblical interpretations of issues like same-sex marriage.
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