Denmark’s Minister of Immigration affairs, Kaare Dybvad Bek, has announced that soon his country will open up an office in Kigali that will support Rwanda’s economic and social development, including in areas such as climate and environment, good governance, to the implementation of Rwanda’s progressive refugee policies in line with the two Memoranda of Understanding on Asylum and Migration Issues and Political Consultations respectively signed in April 2021. A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on August 18, and signed by Bek indicated that; “Denmark and Rwanda share a wish to help more refugees better than today and to fight irregular and life-threatening migration, including across the Mediterranean.” Bek added that, “Our shared goal is to reform the current, flawed asylum system and ensure a dignified and sustainable future for refugees and migrants. I am therefore pleased that we will soon be able to open an office in Rwanda.” The office will also enable Denmark to expand cooperation with Rwanda in areas of mutual interest, including climate, good governance as well as asylum, and migration.It is also expected to strengthen bilateral relations and will work in line with the two cooperation agreements reached between the two countries last year. One of the agreements is about asylum and migration issues and the other on political dialogue and cooperation, reads the statement. A statement issued by Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs last year, after the signing of the MoUs on Cooperation regarding Asylum and Migration Issues, aims to strengthen bilateral dialogue on new and sustainable solutions to current migration and refugee challenges. Denmark already provides support to the Emergency Transit Mechanism in Gashora. Receiving asylum seekers from Denmark in Rwanda and processing asylum applications to Denmark is not part of this MoU. Rwanda and Denmark are parties to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol framework and are committed to the protection of refugees and asylum seekers. In a related development, Flemming Møller Mortensen, Danish Minister for Development, stated that Rwanda is a country that works actively to both promote its socio-economic development and lift Africa's challenges. “And that works to create better conditions in Africa, so that the inequality between the people living in Africa and in Europe becomes smaller.” Mortensen described Rwanda as a country that has set ambitious development goals, among other things, for the green transition, equality and the fight against corruption, and has assumed a major role as a host society for refugees and displaced persons. “These are important agendas that the government wants to support. With the new office, Denmark will work to strengthen the already close partnership with Rwanda, including the climate area, and explore new possible areas of cooperation,” he said.
