Rwanda update — Network and HRFRA progress MoU implementation + the Network provides a  representation to British High Commission Rwanda on formal request for support  from relevant UK Government departments in line with the MoU and FCDO policy statement on LGBT human rights

We are very pleased to update that further to the recent signing of an MoU between the Human Rights First Rwanda Association( HRFRA) Government of Rwanda registered (2005) human rights organisation (http://www.rightsrwanda.com/Mission.html), the Network and the lead officers of the HRFRA have agreed to establish by the Network, through the HRFRA – Network MoU and partnership, ground-breaking support to the LGBT+ and especially LGBTQ+ Rwandan community members first, and subsequently to mental healthcare providers in Rwanda. 

This ahead of support guidance assistance to the Government of Rwanda and British High Commission Rwanda in regard to basic to more applied grassroots level supportive engagement. This being at policy level in regard to not only LGBT+ & LGBTQ+ Rwandan community members, but also for global/international LGBT+ & LGBTQ+ community members – UK asylum and refugees applicants — that under the Governments’ of the UK (’Home Office’) and Rwanda are envisaged to be sent to Rwanda in 2023.

We are aware in the case of the UK Government that due to the deportations agreement with the Government of Rwanda, that the UK Government has in terms of ethics and under relevant UK laws and policies, and policy statements from the FCDO (Foreign and Commonwealth & Development Office) and especially the Home Office – which has a long established well-documented and evidenced record of controversial decisions on LGBT related immigration applications by incontestably genuine international LGBT+ community members in positions of extreme oppression, including risk to life because of their sexual orientation or gender identity – the UK Government has an obligation to honour their words, and to support the Government of Rwanda in regard to transformational support for all sections of the LGBT community of Rwanda. 

In addition, our intervention will provide a measure of support to ensure institution of protections for LGBT+ international members whom the UK Government is planning to deport to Rwanda that has a 90% ‘not a good place for LGBT people’ rating (https://www.equaldex.com/region/rwanda). 

We have therefore made a representation to the British High Commissioner for Rwanda in regard to obligations ethical and legal, and have the strong support ay CEO level of the Stonewall organisation that has long warned the UK Government of the complete unsuitability of Rwanda as a location for LGBT+ community members to be deported to.  Uniquely in our Network case, we have been kindly provided by HRFRA with direct evidence of the grim realities in Rwanda for LGBT+ & LGBTQ+ community members. 

Because of the Home Office agreement, and the obligations it imposes on the Home Office directly AND at a secondary level the FCDO (the FCDO plays at admin level a major function in regard to visa/asylum/refugee status applications for those outside of the UK) we will be pressing to TAKE RWANDA, THAT HAS AN ALMOST ZERO LEVEL ‘ON THE GROUND’ LGBT COMMUNITY LEVEL SUPPORT AND ENGAGEMENT STRUCTURE, TO TAKE RWANDA WITHIN NOT LESS THAN TWO YEARS TO A MEDIUM RANKING INTERNATIONAL COMPETENT LGBT COMMUNITY [evidenced] SUPPORTIVE STATE.

The Network will provide an update on this action later in November.