Germany's Plan to Deport Migrants to Rwanda Amid Migration Tensions

Germany's migration commissioner proposes deporting migrants arriving illegally through Belarus to Rwanda as Berlin faces increasing pressure to curb irregular migration. Joachim Stamp suggests utilizing existing asylum facilities in Rwanda for selected refugees, supervised by the UN. The new proposal follows rising far-right opposition and critiques of Germany’s migration policies.

Germany's migration commissioner has proposed deporting migrants who arrive illegally to the European Union through its borders with Belarus to Rwanda. The measure comes as Berlin faces increasing pressure to curb irregular migration following a fatal stabbing at a city festival linked to Islamic State, which has fueled far-right opposition and critiques of Germany's migration policies.

Joachim Stamp, the Special Representative for Migration Agreements, suggested the EU could utilize existing asylum facilities in Rwanda. Originally intended for Britain's 2022 plan to send unauthorized migrants to the East African nation, the proposal was scrapped by Keir Starmer's new government. Under Stamp's plan, asylum procedures in Rwanda would be monitored by the United Nations.

Stamp emphasized that Rwanda is currently the only willing third country for such an agreement. His proposal specifically targets refugees crossing the EU's eastern borders, estimating around 10,000 individuals annually. This follows the EU's December agreement on new asylum rules, expected to be fully implemented by the end of 2025.

(With inputs from agencies.)