In a bid to address increased illegal migration, the United Kingdom turned to proposals of sending asylum seekers to Africa, a deal which some British lawmakers say will benefit the host nations.

To date, Rwanda is the only African nation that has agreed to the U.K.’s proposals.

The deal is scheduled to start in 10-12 weeks, according to Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Officials in Botswana say Sunak’s government attempted to extend a similar deal to the southern African nation as the one struck with Rwanda.

British authorities reached out, but Botswana could not commit to "hosting people not knowing what the end game would be," Lemogang Kwape, the country's foreign affairs minister, told VOA.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) NGO Working Group, an umbrella of civil society organizations, supports Gaborone's position on the U.K.'s asylum proposal.

Kutlwano Relontle, UPR's program manager, says the coalition "calls on the government of Botswana and other countries to distance themselves from this controversial U.K. program, which appears to be aimed at protecting only some of those who are fleeing their countries on the basis of fear of persecution, and not others."

"We noted that in the case of the conflict in Ukraine, those seeking asylum were fast-tracked into the system, and citizens even encouraged to host them in their homes," Relontle added.

British authorities say the number of migrants crossing the channel in small boats has soared in recent years as people continue to flee war, the effects of climate change and economic uncertainty.

Official data shows that 45,774 migrants arrived in Britain in 2022 on small boats. The figure dropped to 29,437 last year as the government cracked down on people smugglers and reached an agreement to return Albanians to their home country.

Jonathan Portes, a professor of economics and public policy in the U.K., says under the Rwanda arrangement, some deserving asylum-seekers will be turned away.

“There is a general view that the small boats crisis needs to be resolved, [as] that it is very dangerous and unacceptable for people to be arriving in such numbers across the channel, but that does not mean that the majority of the population want to send people, particularly people who would have a claim to refugee status, to Rwanda,” he told VOA.

The economics and policy expert said he is not surprised that Botswana turned down the U.K.’s proposal, particularly after it came under heavy criticism from the U.N. and other human rights groups.

Britain has already paid Rwanda 220 million pounds as part of the agreement to host the deported asylum seekers. Sunak’s government has also agreed to pay the East African nation an extra 150 million pounds over the next three years, and 120 million pounds once the first 300 asylum seekers have been resettled, according to the National Audit Office, NAO.

The Anglo-American unit and the Botswana government, which jointly own Debswana Diamond Company, have approved the spending that will convert the Jwaneng pit into an underground operation.

In 2018, Debswana said it planned an investment to extend the lifespan of the mine by 11 years from 2024. De Beers said the spending is necessary as long-term supply of rough gems is expected to tighten.

Angola last year started mining at its new Luele project, the biggest in the country and one of the world's largest by estimated resources, despite depressed diamond demand.

"The global supply of natural diamonds is falling, so moving forward with the Jwaneng underground project creates new value for investors," De Beers CEO Al Cook said.

Demand for rough diamonds has been weak in recent months with India - cutter and polisher of 90% of the world's rough diamonds - asking global miners to stop selling it gemstones to manage accumulated stocks.

"This investment is aligned with our strategy to prioritize investments in the highest quality projects," Cook said.

De Beers last year agreed a new diamond sales pact, which will see the government's share of diamonds from the Debswana joint venture gradually increase to 50% over the next decade.