Yolande Makolo Quotes

We were expecting migrants from all over the world, people coming from countries with conflict, some may have been persecuted from where they are coming from, or maybe they are coming from countries that don’t have opportunities and we think that a lot of them have a misconception about what Rwanda is like and what Africa is like and to be quite honest some of these are perpetuated by media that does not reflect the reality of our countries,”

Something has to give and we are happy to be working on this solution with our UK partners,

There are not many solutions. People are suffering, the asylum system is broken. It's being taken advantage of by criminal gangs that are exploiting people, making false promises. People are risking their lives in these dangerous crossings,

We are determined to make this work. We understand that there might be opposition to this but we are asking that this programme be a given a chance because it’s a solution,”

Rwanda is doing it for the right reasons and that the country has the experience of being a welcoming place for people living in precarious conditions.

We will be able to provide not just a safe haven these people are looking for but the opportunity to build new lives here and develop alongside Rwandans,

We do hope they chose to stay with and following the footsteps of so many who have made Rwanda their home and have flourished here,

“We will provide decent accommodation and look after all their essential needs. We also want to make it clear that if people apply for asylum in Rwanda and their claim is rejected, through the process that we will have here, they will still have a pathway to legal residency in Rwanda and we welcome people from everywhere,

When the first flight lands here in Kigali, the new arrivals will be welcomed and will be looked after and supported to make new lives here. We will provide support with their asylum applications, including legal support and translation services,”

We’re partnering with the UNHCR and the African Union to bring migrants who were stranded in Libya to safety in Kigali. Over 1,000 migrants have passed through this centre, many have been relocated to other countries.”This is just an illustration of Rwanda’s commitment to protecting refugees & vulnerable people around the world -a principle which always governs our international policy,

Rwanda continues to ensure that its borders are protected, “This is why our armed forces are at the border. We've said this very openly and we will not hesitate to protect and to defend our borders and also protect our people. We have said this very clearly. What we will not allow is, for any kind of conflict to come across the border and we are prepared for that.”

They are not taken into consideration by other parts of the UN system, but this information has to be used to ensure the protection of all civilians, including Rwandans.”

These have to be talked about as well. I'm talking specifically about the proliferation of hate speech that is followed by attacks on people. We've seen that people have been attacked, people have died, homes have been burnt, and property has been looted all as the result of the hateful rhetoric that is propagated at the highest level of government, including by the security organs in the DRC.“This is something that the United Nations (UN) itself needs to take seriously because it's coming from within. Some of the statements issued to warn about the proliferation of hate speech and the attacks on these targeted communities in the DR Congo were basically ignored by mainstream media.”

Despite ongoing regional efforts to bring about peace in eastern DRC Congo, there are aspects of the conflict that are not being talked about yet they are important because they affect the lives of civilians, both in the DR Congo and, indirectly, Rwanda.

There was one injury yesterday from a stray bullet from clashes across the border and the man (civilian) who was injured is being treated, at the health center in Rubavu District. We are grateful that we did not have any (fatality).”