In a forceful open letter sent to UK Secretary of State James Cleverly today, the IGICUMBI association, one of the organizations representing survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, has accused the UK government of exploiting their tragedy to justify its controversial asylum seeker agreement with Rwanda.

The strongly-worded letter comes as a response to Cleverly’s recent comments during a visit to Italy, where he claimed that “Rwanda is slightly underpopulated because of the genocide it suffered 20 years ago, and its economy will benefit from the migrants that are due to be sent from Britain.”

IGICUMBI denounces these remarks as “inaccurate” and an attempt to “exploit contemptuously the Genocide for political gains.” The association presents facts contradicting Cleverly’s claims:

1. The Genocide against the Tutsi occurred 30 years ago in 1994, not 20.
2. Rwanda, with 584 people/km², is the most densely populated mainland African country (Statista).
3. Rwanda’s population has nearly doubled from 7.6 million in 1991 to 14.1 million today, despite the genocide.
4. Rwanda’s unemployment rate is 14.9%, one of Africa’s highest and far above the UK’s 4.4% (World Bank, 2023).

IGICUMBI questions how unskilled asylum seekers “forced out of the UK” could address Rwanda’s need for qualified workers, highlighting the hypocrisy in the UK’s immigration policy requiring skills equivalent to an A-level.
The survivors express outrage at a UK cabinet member “misinforming the world” about the genocide to justify an immigration policy, alleging that genocide survivors have been forcibly evicted from a hostel to accommodate UK asylum seekers.

Demanding a retraction and apology, IGICUMBI has sent an open letter to King Charles III, the British Prime Minister, and Rwandan officials. The full letter is available in English, French, and Kinyarwanda. Ends