Rev. Canon Dr. Confidence Bansah, founder of the Center for Religion and Public Life (CRPL-Ghana), has made a passionate appeal to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to leverage his influence and oppose the United Kingdom’s plan to relocate illegal migrants to Rwanda. Dr. Bansah drew parallels with the transatlantic slave trade, expressing grave concerns about the scheme’s implications for Africa.
He highlighted the UK’s historical role in forcibly transporting Africans to various parts of the world, often with dire consequences.
Dr. Bansah fears that the UK’s current plan could signal a new wave of exploitation and destabilization for Africa, likening it to the transatlantic slave trade.
Dr. Bansah criticized the West for blaming Africans for their own enslavement and questioned whether the African Union (AU) would stand by as history potentially repeats itself. He praised Botswana for rejecting the UK’s proposal and urged Rwanda to follow suit.
Dr. Bansah emphasized that the implications of this plan extend beyond the continent, posing risks to individual nations like Ghana. He called on President Akufo-Addo to take action, championing the cause among his AU peers to discourage Rwanda from progressing with the scheme.
In a press statement, Dr. Bansah stated, “UK’s plan of dumping illegal migrants in Rwanda brings back the nostalgia of the slavery predicaments of the continent.” He added, “With this UK/Rwanda scheme, it is indisputable that the UK is beginning to orchestrate another full-scale dislodgement of Africans and the destabilization of the continent. And like transatlantic slavery, only God knows how this is going to end.”
Dr. Bansah also raised concerns about the potential security risks, stating, “Africa is still struggling with security, crime, border control, and the influx of terrorist groups. Not forgetting those deportees coming from countries linked to global terrorism like Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, whose backgrounds we don’t know.”
He questioned the mechanisms the AU has in place to monitor and control the movement of potentially dangerous individuals, asking, “What mechanisms does the AU have in place to monitor and control the movement of these people, some of whom might be members of militant groups or are terrorists themselves?”
As a member of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Multi-Stakeholder Working Group, Dr. Bansah urged President Akufo-Addo to use his influence to intervene in this “barbaric act” by the UK government and champion the cause among his AU peers to discourage Rwanda from progressing with the scheme.
