Britain, Rwanda defend asylum-seekers plan at UN agenciesBy JAMEY KEATEN - Associated PressMartial Trezzini - foreign subscriber, Keystone Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, May 19, 2022. GENEVA (AP) — Britain and Rwanda on Thursday faced down two United Nations agencies that have sharply criticized their controversial plan in which Britain expects to send some asylum-seekers from the U.K. to the African country. She insisted the plan was about saving lives of people taken by smugglers on often-treacherous journeys to try to reach Britain. Rwanda’s Biruta said initial planning considered that some 30,000 people might be involved in the plan, but in any case Rwanda could take in thousands. Rwanda already is home to more than 130,000 refugees from countries such as Burundi, Congo, Libya and Pakistan.

Source: Libya Today May 20, 2022 00:03 UTC