London, UK - Recent

The controversial asylum deal between the UK and Rwanda faces imminent collapse after newly elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the Labour government would scrap it.

The UK government has spent more than 320 million pounds on the scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. While some in Rwandan political circles feel relieved, others argue that the East African country should not have been burdened with the UK's political issues in the first place.

In Kigali, capital city of Rwanda, preparations were in full swing. Rwanda was ready to receive immigrants from the UK under the controversial migration partnership between the two governments.

Hostels had been built and equipped with recreational amenities, and over 150 people had been hired and trained to work in these facilities.

However, Starmer confirmed the Rwanda deportation scheme is "dead and buried" in his first press conference as prime minister.

The new prime minister criticized the scheme, established by the previous Conservative government, as a "gimmick" for deporting migrants arriving illegally in the UK.

The first flight to Rwanda was scheduled for July 24 if the Conservatives had been re-elected.

Reactions are mixed in Kigali. Some welcome the development, saying it spares Rwanda from a scheme that threatened to tarnish its image, while others insist Rwanda should not be blamed for the UK government's misguided policy.

According to Rwandan political analyst Gatete Ruhumuriza, the policy could have significantly tarnished the international standing of the UK had it gone into effect.

The Rwandan government has not yet responded to the developments.

Previously, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda said his country was not to blame but was offering a solution for asylum seekers in the UK.

He also said Rwanda would refund the UK if one was requested upon the scheme's failure.

The financial implications of scrapping the scheme and the total bill to taxpayers are still unknown.

Shotlist:
London, UK - Recent:
1. Various of Parliament building, Union Jack;
FILE: London, UK - Nov 17, 2018
2. Union Jack;
FILE: London, UK - April 26, 2017
3. No. 10 Downing Street;
4. Various of door plate, building on Downing Street;
Kigali, Rwanda - Recent
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Frank Habineza, Rwandan Opposition Leader:
"It's a relief for those people who have been scared of coming to Rwanda because some of those people had said that they would commit suicide if they were forced to come to Rwanda, so, that has been of a great concern to us. Personally, I voted against this bill in Parliament with my other colleague. My party, the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda has been opposed to this bill from the beginning. We are happy that the Labor Party, which has also been opposed to this bill, has won the elections. So we are against this bill because we feel the UK has more resources than Rwanda, and has more opportunities than Rwanda, and also has an obligation to receive refugees and people coming to them, like Rwanda which has an obligation to protect those who come to us. So we as a party do not have issues with refugees but we want to receive refugees who choose to come to us. Countries like the UK, Germany, Denmark, who want to take off their own responsibility and throw it on us are not happy with that.";
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
FILE: London, UK - April 26, 2017
6. Sign on building on Downing Street;
[SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE]
Kigali, Rwanda - Recent
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Gatete Ruhumuriza, Rwandan political analyst:
"What image does it give to Great Britain to expel members of the Commonwealth who have sought refuge in its country? What image does it give of that country that is expelling them? Otherwise, there is no image problem for the country that receives them. Do you know what the word Commonwealth means? It means wealth that is shared. Isn't it? Now you have a country where the [king], the country of Great Britain, is trying to expel the people so that they do not get to share the common wealth.";
FILE: Rwanda - Date Unknown
8. Cityscape;
FILE: Rwanda - Date Unknown
9. Various of pedestrians, traffic.

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