UK COURT CLEARS ASYLUM CLAIMS PROCESSING IN KIGALI
We don’t yet know how many people but the way is now clear for some of those people who entered the United Kingdom by illegal means to seek asylum to be taken to Kigali, Rwanda where their asylum claims will be processed. These people came across the English Channel from France to seek asylum. They are from the world’s trouble spots. It’s possible that by the time you get this copy of Politico, the first passengers under this scheme will be airborne thinking about life in Paul Kagame’s kingdom.
The controversial project absolutely came out of real frustration by the British government with the fact that the even with all the collaboration with France, both countries have failed to stop the flow of human beings from France to Britain and it would appear as if human trafficking is thriving in that place and if not checked many more people would be attracted to getting into a boat in France, forgetting about the risk involved and landing in the modern day Canaan.
The groups that brought the case against the British government think international law has been broken with this asylum processing office in Rwanda. They also made a moral case based on the way the people are being treated by a country that is known for its generosity to asylum seekers. The courts ruled in favor of the government and there is no turning back now.
Let’s see how this goes because even the UNHCR is uncomfortable. There are a few points to make about all of this from our small corner in Freetown.
1. We get the moral case being made in terms of how human being are being treated – first by the traffickers and then by the British government flying the more than EIGHT HOURS to Kigali for processing but no government will encourage a situation where every more they are called to a beachside to receive boat loads of strangers.
2. We know they leave France for Britain because of the generous welfare system for asylum seekers in the UK but the idea that people can simply turn up and begin to enjoy British money is what they are trying to discourage with this off-shore processing area.
3. By the way, how many people are we really talking about who cannot have their asylum claims processed in the UK quickly?
4. Would they be deported if their cases fail? Or would they stay in Rwanda like those Libyans who were taken there following the fall of Col. Gadhafi?
5. We will see in the coming months how the possibility of being transferred to Kigali impacts the number of people who make the dangerous voyage in rickety boats.
6. We believe that unless there is a direct threat to people’s lives they should STAY HOME and avoid the journey to Kigali.
THE SO-CALLED MPs WELFARE BILL SHOULD DIE
The Clerk of Parliament is telling us one thing about the bill seeking to put our MPs in a kind of financial heaven in and out of the House while the MPs are telling us something completely different. We are hearing that they are gearing up for a fight with the rest of us to get that bill through the House. We suggested to some of them the other day that the good people of Sierra Leone will hold Principal personally responsible if he signs off on that document to give it legal effect. Some of our MPs then countered by saying that should Principal refuse to sign they would use their powers to override the veto. We are waiting for that to happen because at that point the House would have set itself up against the people.
The point is that we have not interviewed anybody in Freetown who hasn’t said that we should do a bit more to improve the welfare of our MPs. Many have complained about the timing of this bill and indeed some of the provisions in there. Above all, most people want to know why we can't have a bill that comprehensively deals with salaries and conditions of service for the whole workforce. This will solve the problems of MPs challenging here, teachers striking there, lecturers gearing up for a fight and doctors and nurses warming up to join in.
With less than a year left to the end of their current mandate, a good number of these MPs know they will not be returning to Tower Hill so they want to prepare themselves a financial bed of roses to live happily ever after. We have no problem with that but we will not allow you guys to smuggle this bill through to take care of yourselves while the rest of us continue to struggle.
STOP THROWING RUBBISH IN THE STREETS OF FLOOD-PRONE FREETOWN
When torrential rains lashed Freetown recently many awful things happened – some homes were washed away and properties destroyed, power lines were cut and as we write this a good many ordinary Sierra Leoneans are trying to rebuild while looking over their shoulders to see what the rest of the rainy season holds for this country. We believe climate change is beginning to take a toll on Sierra Leone and there is a long struggle ahead.
Even in the early stages of operation, the National Disaster Management Agency is showing signs that it is ready to lead this struggle against all what adverse weather will throw at us. They need all the support from the government and international bodies that can help.
However, one of the most disgusting things we saw on that day was a widely shared social media video of a man pouring a huge amount of domestic rubbish on a flooded street. It was really disgusting. As part of what the Roads Authority calls FLOOD MITIGATION plans, we recently saw their contractors, supervised by soldiers clearing the drainage system in Freetown to make it easy for the heavy rains of this time of the year to flow freely. Surely, all the Sierra Leoneans who watched that video were appalled at how some of our people behave. It’s not as if the guy was caught in the rain, he actually brought the rubbish out of wherever and spent a good few minutes doing the awful deed.
We think the authorities should arrest him. We can’t continue to waste our taxes paying for people to clear the drainage to prevent floods while others knowingly take us back. We’ve done our own bit to make this a point to note, let the authorities now do their own bit. He is not the only one to have done that on that day but we have to start somewhere and with somebody
MARIJUANA EXPORT FROM SALONE MUST STOP
This is not the first time we are calling attention to what looks like a booming trade in marijuana from Sierra Leone into Guinea and Liberia. It emerged not too long ago that a large quantity of marijuana bound for one of our neighboring countries, possibly Liberia, was confiscated at a checkpoint in Bo district.
We have always called on the authorities to stop this cross-border trade in marijuana because it’s doing enormous damage to our economy and food production and indeed the reputation of this country. We really can’t afford that at this time.
There is certainly no national outcry over this and it’s almost as if the nation and its institutions are powerless against a few criminals who prefer to make big money at the expense of the economy and reputation of Sierra Leone. We should NEVER be surprised or outraged when a serious western country slams a ban on Sierra Leoneans traveling to their place because we are slowing but surely moving towards becoming a supplier of narcotic drugs.
The immediate danger we face is that people are turning away from growing food crops to the production of marijuana on a large scale because the market exists in Liberia and Guinea. Why can’t they grow what they smoke?
The other danger is many Sierra Leoneans are being jailed in those countries and our innocent people are facing intimidation and harassment on a daily basis on the streets because the security agencies there think they are all part of the marijuana trade.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency knows that periodic news items about the agency or persistent calls for more money will not solve the problem. There’s a lot of money in this business and the big guys running the show are influential and dangerous but we have to fight them because we have no choice.
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