Briefly

UNITED KINGDOM

UN opposes UK's move to outsource migrants

The United Nations said it stood firmly against Britain's deal announced on Thursday to send illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers who cross the Channel thousands of miles away to Rwanda. UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, voiced "strong opposition and concerns" about the agreement and urged London to refrain from transferring asylum-seekers and refugees to Rwanda for processing. The agency said people fleeing persecution should not be traded like commodities. The British government is attempting to clamp down on the record numbers of people making the perilous Channel crossing from northeastern France in small inflatable boats.

UNITED STATES

IMF to downgrade global growth forecast

The International Monetary Fund chief said on Thursday that the organization will revise down its global growth forecast amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the impact of which will contribute to downgrades for 143 economies this year. In an update to its World Economic Outlook report released in January, the IMF already cut its 2022 global growth forecast by 0.5 percentage point to 4.4 percent amid the Omicron surge. "As a result, we will be projecting a further downgrade in global growth for both 2022 and 2023," said IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

Agencies - Xinhua