Musings From Abroad

UK defends plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda as first flight takes off Tuesday night

Published

2 years ago

June 14, 2022

British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has once again, defended plans by his government to go ahead with the deportation of asylum-seekers of various nationalities to Rwanda as the first flight which will take about 30 migrants to the East African country is set to leave Tuesday night.

Johnson who said attempts to block the flights were “abetting the work of criminal gangs” involved in smuggling people across borders, insisted that his administration will not back down on the deportation of the asylum seekers.

The UK government had reached an agreement with Rwanda in April to deport people who enter the country illegally to the East African country in an exchange deal worth £120 for millions in development aid.

Under the agreement with Kigali, anyone landing in the UK illegally is liable to be given a one-way ticket for processing and resettlement in Rwanda.

Despite the last-ditch legal bids to block the deportations, mounting protests and worldwide criticism, a chartered plane is set to leave one of London’s airports on Tuesday night and land in Kigali on Wednesday, campaigners said, after British judges on Monday rejected an appeal against the deportations.

According to NGO Care4Calais, those due to be deported include Albanians, Iraqis, Iranians and a Syrian.

The government contends this will deter people from paying criminals to help them take the risky journey across the English Channel in small boats.

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Musings From Abroad

Brazilian meatpacker JBS invests $2.5 billion in Nigeria, builds six facilities

Published

2 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Brazilian meatpacker JBS says it has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government for a $2.5 billion investment plan that will include the construction of six new plants in the African nation.

Three of the plants would deal in poultry, two in beef, and one in pork, according to a statement from JBS.

In accordance with the memorandum of understanding, JBS stated that it would develop a five-year investment plan in Nigeria, which would include budget estimates, feasibility studies, and an action plan for the development of the local supply chain.

The Nigerian government would then guarantee the sanitary, regulatory, and economic conditions required for the project’s viability, JBS continued.

Musings From Abroad

China’s Xi meets with Morocco’s Crown Prince

Published

2 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Morocco’s official media reports that Chinese President, Xi Jinping, visited Morocco briefly on Thursday.

According to Morocco’s MAP, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan welcomed Xi in Casablanca. The visit demonstrated the close ties of camaraderie, collaboration, and solidarity between the Moroccan and Chinese peoples, it said.

China’s official broadcaster, CCTV, said that Xi and Hassan had a “cordial conversation” at the airport after being received by the Crown Prince and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

After attending the G20 Summit in Brazil, Xi paid the visit.

In recent years, China has increased its investments in Morocco’s rail and infrastructure. Morocco is desirable for Chinese electric car battery manufacturers because of its proximity to Europe, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and an established automotive sector.

Morocco was chosen by Chinese EV battery company Gotion High Tech in June to establish Africa’s first gigafactory, which will cost $1.3 billion in total.