Makolo made the remarks during an interview with Royal FM on Thursday, following reports that Italy is exploring partnerships with several African countries as part of a broader European strategy to manage irregular migration.
'There is no agreement yet. We're still in discussion,' Makolo said, adding that one of the key ideas under consideration is building on Rwanda's existing Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) in Gashora.
The ETM, established in 2019 in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), temporarily hosts vulnerable asylum seekers and refugees evacuated from Libya while their cases are processed for voluntary return to their home countries or resettlement elsewhere.
Makolo explained that the discussions focus on providing a safe place for people fleeing conflict or persecution.
'One of the ideas that we're discussing is around the Emergency Transit Mechanism that we have in Gashora, a safe place for families who are stranded, who have nowhere else to go, who are in danger for various reasons,' she revealed.
Asylum seekers hosted under the arrangement receive medical care, psychosocial support and skills training while awaiting decisions on their future.
According to Makolo, Rwanda's willingness to engage in migration partnerships is rooted in its own history of displacement and refugee return.
'Rwanda has always been involved in migration in many ways,' she said, pointing to the country's own history of displacement and return following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 'Because of that experience, we're also a welcoming country. We understand people who have had to run away with nothing and then come back and rebuild their lives.'
She pointed to Rwanda's longstanding refugee policy, noting that the country currently hosts more than 100,000 refugees, mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, who are allowed to work, access healthcare and integrate into communities while under protection.
Makolo said Rwanda has worked with international organisations for decades to provide protection to people forced to flee their homes, and sees migration cooperation as part of its contribution to addressing a global challenge.
'Irregular migration is a global problem, and Rwanda has always done our part as a member of the international community,' she noted.
She added that the Gashora programme has already demonstrated its effectiveness.
'We've had thousands of those come in, and a lot of them have left, have been resettled to third countries, and that has worked really well. It has saved a lot of lives, a lot of families, and we can do more of this.'
While acknowledging that migration partnerships often attract criticism, Makolo defended Rwanda's continued engagement on the issue.
'There will always be criticism,' she said. 'But we know that we're doing this for the right reasons. We want to be part of the global solution to a big problem.'
She argued that Rwanda's previous migration partnership with the United Kingdom, which was cancelled after the new British government scrapped the policy, was fundamentally about providing protection and opportunities for people in need.
'There's nothing wrong with giving people a home and ensuring that there are resources provided so people can rebuild their lives,' Makolo reiterated.
Makolo also stressed that Rwanda wants to help reduce the dangers faced by African migrants undertaking perilous journeys through the Sahara Desert and across the Mediterranean Sea.
'We don't want Africans making dangerous journeys across the desert and dying in the Mediterranean,' she remarked. 'We want young Africans to be happy to live in their continent, and to contribute to building this continent together.'
According to Italian reports published on August 4, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government is seeking to establish pilot migrant return hubs in third countries as part of a wider European strategy to improve the management of irregular migration.
Italy has indicated that Rwanda is among three African countries, alongside Uganda and Ghana, under consideration for pilot return centres that would be jointly managed by European countries and funded by the European Union.
Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/rwanda-confirms-ongoing-talks-with-italy-over-migration-cooperation/
