Botswana’s foreign minister says UK also approached his country to take ‘unwanted immigrants’

By GERALD IMRAY
Associated Press

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Botswana’s foreign minister says his country was approached by the U.K. to take some of what he called their “unwanted immigrants” but declined the request. Lemogang Kwape’s comments on Tuesday came hours after the British Parliament finally passed legislation allowing a contentious plan to send migrants to Rwanda to move ahead. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the first flights would leave in July. Kwape didn’t say when the U.K. made its approach. The British government struck its contentious deal with Rwanda in April 2022. British media has reported that the U.K. has since held talks with Armenia, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast and Botswana over replicating the Rwanda plan.