The United Kingom Set to Ease Pressure of Illegal Immigration by Striking a Deal with Rwanda
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and the United Kingdom made a deal with the Rwanda government to calm the pressure of illegal immigration in Britain. The UK will give Rwanda 120 million pounds for the country to harbor British undocumented immigrants. Since the genocide, Rwanda has been one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa, and Johnson claims that it is “one of the safest countries in the world right now.” Rwanda states that they will offer these immigrants access to equal healthcare and education. However, policymakers will hold up the deal in a British court. Policymakers and refugee organizers believe that the policy is “unworkable and extortionate,” questioning if Rwanda was the correct destination country for the illegal immigrants. Nonetheless, the UK has let in nearly 185,000 people seeking asylum. It is currently offering an unlimited amount of Ukrainians the chance to resettle due to the conflict with Russia, raising the turmoil amongst policymakers for this large influx of migrants.
Despite the political troubles in Britain, Rwanda will see a tremendous gain. Not only have they received foreign funding, but immigration is likely to accelerate the long-term economic growth of Rwanda. However, the initial costs of bearing new immigrants will financially burden the nation for several years due to the price of healthcare and public education. After the assimilation process, the immigrants will eventually pay for their short-run costs by paying taxes, purchasing consumer goods, etc., beginning to break even and ultimately adding to Rwanda’s economy.
Max, Colchester. “U.K. Plans to Send Migrants Who Enter Country Illegally to Rwanda.” The Wall Street Journal, April 14th, 2022. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-plans-to-send-migrants-who-enter-country-illegally-to-rwanda-11649956441
One thought on “The United Kingom Set to Ease Pressure of Illegal Immigration by Striking a Deal with Rwanda”
Really interesting post Ryan! After reading your post, I’m curious to see if there’s a way to use the economic models we’ve learned in class to theorize about the effects this will have on not just an origin and destination country, but also the now a middleman. We’ve looked at the effects across two countries, but the UK is now introducing a potential third country that will shape the way migration effects take place, who bears the costs and benefits, and the magnitude of these effects.