One of the buildings that will host asylum seekers
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Dr. Vincent Biruta said on Tuesday that the first batch of asylum seekers from the United Kingdom will arrive in the country this month.
The development was confirmed during a media briefing on the situation between Rwanda and DRC on Tuesday June 31.
The asylum seekers will be hosted in the country, following a partnership agreement signed in April by Rwanda and UK to work together to relocate them.
“The first batch will come this month; we are working on it. We are ready to host them,” Dr. Vincent Biruta said.
One of the accommodations to house them is the “one dollar house” also known as Hope hotel located in Kigali city.
The complex has 50 bedrooms and can accommodate 100 people with two people sharing a room.
However, according to the management, there are plans to expand the hotel by building more accommodation blocks, eventually seeing it offer 150 rooms and be able to sleep up to 300 people. The facility offers WiFi and good views of the surrounding hills.
Asylum seekers are expected to be provided meals three times a day to eat in a communal dining room, with some kitchen facilities also available for those with special dietary requirements.
The Hotel sits on 800 meters of land.
Another hotel expected to host asylum seekers is the “Desire Resort Hotel” located in Gasabo district, Kigali city. It has 72 bedrooms and a swimming pool. The asylum seekers will be served three meals a day.
According to the arrangements, another hotel dubbed Hallmark residents also located in Kigali city will host others. It has thirty houses with 102 bedrooms.
According to UK authorities, the country received over 8,800 asylum seekers.
However, this year, the UK government projects about 60,000 illegal immigrants.
It is believed that by relocating migrants to Rwanda and investing in personal development and employment for migrants, the two nations are taking bold steps to address the imbalance in global opportunities which drives illegal migration while dismantling the incentive structures which empower criminal gangs and endanger innocent lives.
