The Safety of Rwanda bill is cruel and profoundly dangerous. MSF UK opposes the principle of this approach on medical, ethical and humanitarian grounds.

The UK government’s plan to forcibly and permanently expel people seeking safety in the UK – including children and survivors of torture and trafficking to Rwanda, is inhumane. It also undermines the letter and the spirit of the Refugee Convention and other international and domestic obligations, setting a worrying precedent for other countries to follow.

The passing of the ‘Safety of Rwanda bill’ marks another dark chapter in the UK’s brutal approach to migration, which is rooted in policies of deterring, externalising and punishing people for seeking protection in the UK. Such approaches are well documented to cause significant medical and humanitarian harm and ultimately costs lives.

MSF has seen first-hand the devastating medical and humanitarian consequences of a similar disastrous ‘offshoring’ policies implemented by the Australian Government, where almost two thirds of our patients forcibly expelled to Nauru island suffered from suicidal ideation and self-harm, including amongst children as young as nine years old. There, our medical teams witnessed some of the worst mental health suffering in our organisation’s 50-year history.

Now, we are horrified that history is repeating itself.

We are also deeply concerned that the Rwanda bill ​ may trigger a mental health crisis amongst the tens of thousands of people who are at risk of being forcibly removed to Rwanda, including our patients and those being held in the mass containment site at RAF Wethersfield in Essex.

In November 2023 MSF UK, in partnership with Doctors of the World UK, launched a mobile clinic providing primary healthcare to the men living on the site, outside the main gates of Wethersfield due to concerns over unresolved and unmet health needs. Our medical consultations reveal that our patients – many of whom have had traumatic journeys to the UK – are showing signs of serious mental distress, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, self-harm and suicidal ideation, with many people telling us the containment site is contributing to their poor mental health.

This dire mental health situation is a particular concern and The Safety of Rwanda bill will only exacerbate this.

The UK government must immediately abandon this cruel and abhorrent approach. Instead, it should focus on establishing safe routes to the UK and on creating a functioning, fair and efficient asylum system, which respects the health and dignity of people seeking safety in the UK.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).

The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Minister Pandor, will co-chair the VII Session of the South Africa-Brazil Joint Commission (JC) on 23 April 2024 in Brasilia, Brazil, with her counterpart, Minister Mauro Vieira, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

On 13 December 2003, South Africa and Brazil signed an agreement to establish a Joint Commission. A Declaration on Strategic Partnership and an Action Plan was signed in 2010.

The Joint Commission serves as a mechanism to monitor and facilitate the implementation of the Action Plan in several areas such as agriculture; defence; economic and commercial relations; environment; health; higher education and technical cooperation; justice and correctional services; minerals and energy; science, technology, and communications; sports, arts, and culture.

The Joint Commission is composed of 10 sectoral Working Groups (WG).

A Senior Officials Meeting was held on 10 April 2024 to review the work done by the working groups in preparation for the JC.

South Africa shares a common history and cultural heritage with Brazil’s over 100 million population of African descent (African Diaspora), the second largest African Diaspora in the Americas region.

Brazil will host the Sixth Region Diaspora Conference in the state of Bahia on 20-22 May 2024 as one of the preparatory meetings for the Ninth Pan African Conference that will be held in Togo in October 2024.

South Africa and Brazil as member countries of the Global South, actively advance the developmental agenda of the South through, amongst others, the UN, IBSA, BRICS, G20, WTO, and International Financial Institutions.

Brazil is currently holding the IBSA Chair, G20 Presidency and in 2025 will chair the BRICS Plus as well as COP30. On 1 December 2023, South Africa became a member of the G20 Troika, with India and Brazil and will assume the Presidency of G20 in 2025

Brazil is South Africa’s largest trading partner in Latin America and is the second largest trading partner in the Americas after the USA. South Africa is Brazil’s second largest export partner in Africa.

The resumption of LATAM Airlines’ and SAA’s direct flights between Sao Paulo and Johannesburg in 2023 has opened opportunities to scale up tourism, trade, and people-to-people relations.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Yesterday, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Egypt and the European Commission’s Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) launched a new partnership to empower both refugees living in Egypt and host communities and improve their self-reliance and social cohesion. 

The European Union’s (EU) €2 million contribution will target 6,000 people from nine different countries living in Egypt – including Sudanese refugees who escaped conflict – through targeted capacity-building initiatives in Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan, Damietta, and other regions across the country. 

Throughout the 18-month program, participants will receive training across a diverse array of fields, including skilled trades like carpentry, manufacturing, and craftsmanship. By engaging the private sector, the programme also facilitates on-the-job trainings to ensure a seamless transition from learning to employment opportunities. 

WFP Egypt’s Interim Country Director, Gianpietro Bordignon, H.E Ambassador Christian Berger, Head of the EU Delegation to Egypt, and a delegation from the EU visited Aswan to mark the programme’s launch that kicked off with a series of vocational trainings with refugees, including digital marketing, graphic design, and culinary sessions.  

Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat and Minister of Social Solidarity Dr Nevine Al-Kabbaj also attended the inauguration in Aswan. 

“The World Food Programme (WFP) and the European Union (EU) are key development partners to Egypt, working collaboratively within our diverse cooperation portfolio that includes food security and investing in human capital. This is a core part of putting forth a people-centric, inclusive development,” said H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation. 

“While Egypt hosts over 9 million migrants and refugees from diverse nationalities, the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MOSS) supports the provision of a multifaceted intervention social service package that encompasses humanitarian assistance, social care, social protection, and economic empowerment measures targeting refugees and host communities, with a special emphasis on the most vulnerable groups including women, children, persons with disabilities, persons without care, and elderly. MOSS acknowledges the importance of support provided through partners from line ministries, civil society, and international partner organizations, and we strongly commend the strong and effective partnership with the European Union Delegation in Egypt that enables us to introduce comprehensive and sustainable solutions to rising crises and emergencies”, said Minister of Social Solidarity H.E. Dr. Nevine Al-Kabbaj. 

“Migration, resilience, livelihood, and social cohesion are priorities for the EU as they aim at peaceful coexistence. We are convinced that inclusion and self-reliance represent concrete solutions to address the needs of refugees and local communities. We believe in initiatives involving youth and women as gateways for reconciliation, social cohesion, and education for peace across society,” said H.E Ambassador Christian Berger. 

“The EU is a long-standing partner of WFP in Egypt, and we are thrilled to expand the scope of our partnership to build the resilience of refugees and their host communities in Egypt and help increase their employment opportunities,” said Gianpietro Bordignon, WFP Interim Country Director in Egypt.” Thanks to the EU’s contribution, WFP in Egypt can provide them with the essential tools that would allow them to become self-reliant and secure their basic needs independently. Our gratitude extends to our Egyptian partners, whose collaboration makes this vital work possible. Together, we are dedicated to improving the lives of those facing the greatest challenges.”  

Under WFP’s current five-year programme (2023-2028), WFP Egypt is dedicated to supporting local communities,  people affected by crisis and refugees from more than nine countries, offering them cash assistance, nutrition support, and vocational training programmes to enhance their food security. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations In Egypt.

On 22 and 23 April 2024, Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, carried out an official visit to Algeria at the invitation of the minister of foreign affairs, Ahmed Attaf.

During her visit, the ICRC president met with the minister of foreign affairs and with the president of the Algerian Red Crescent, Ibtissem Hamlaoui.

Discussions focused on strengthening cooperation between the Algerian government and the ICRC. Talks were also held concerning the humanitarian situation caused by the ongoing armed conflicts in the Near and Middle East and in Africa, particularly those in Gaza, Syria and Sudan.

A partnership agreement was signed between the ICRC and the Algerian Red Crescent for the 2024–2026 period. The agreement covers various programmes, underscoring the commitment of both organizations to strengthening their humanitarian cooperation.

The 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions this year serves as a reminder of the essential role that international humanitarian law plays in protecting people affected by armed conflict and in ensuring that their dignity is respected. The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols are the cornerstone of the humanitarian work carried out by the ICRC and its partners around the world.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).