Botswana has rejected a proposal by the United Kingdom to accommodate asylum seekers, a move that has raised questions about the UK’s motives amid racism allegations.
The UK’s plan, part of efforts to curb illegal migration from Africa and Asia, involves relocating asylum seekers to African nations, with Rwanda being the only country to accept the deal so far.
Botswana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lemogang Kwape said the southern African country turned down the request by the UK to host individuals without clarity on the ultimate outcome of their stay.
Botswana could not commit to “hosting people not knowing what the end game would be,” Kwape told the media.
The British government’s approach has been criticized for its selective protection of individuals fleeing persecution, as the number of migrants crossing the English Channel continues to rise due to war, climate change, and economic instability.
Rights groups which have highlighted the disparity in treatment between asylum seekers from Ukraine and those from other regions, suggesting a racially motivated bias in the UK’s policy.
London has already made financial commitments to Rwanda totalling £220 million (about US$284 million), plus additional funds upon the resettlement of the first 300 asylum seekers.
JN/APA