Botswana’s Foreign Minister Lemogang Kwape has disclosed that the Southern African country declined a request from the UK to host deported illegal migrants.
“I can confirm that the British government, through the Foreign Secretary and the minister for Africa, approached Botswana via diplomatic channels to receive illegal migrants destined for the United Kingdom.
“However, we did not agree to their request,” Kwape stated in an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika late Tuesday.
Kwape emphasized that Botswana faces significant challenges, particularly with immigration issues in its vicinity.
“To accept unwanted immigrants from another country while we are addressing our own regional challenges would be unjust,” he stated. He reiterated that Botswana cannot accommodate illegal migrants from a third country.
Botswana currently hosts immigrants from neighboring Zimbabwe, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other nations.
“It’s evident that the British government does not want these individuals in their country, so they seek to transport them to a distant destination,” Kwape emphasized.
Earlier this week, the British Parliament approved a bill aiming to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda, despite strong opposition from rights groups, politicians, and the UN.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasized the government’s determination to implement the bill swiftly, focusing on initiating deportation flights.
Sunak explained that the Rwanda Bill was introduced to dissuade vulnerable migrants from undertaking dangerous journeys and to disrupt the criminal gangs profiting from their exploitation.
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