It seems that the pleas to the United Kingdom not to activate the migration law to Rwanda have fallen on deaf ears, despite the devastating impact of this law and the endangerment of the lives of refugees who sought safety in Britain.
The British Home Office has stated that it has begun to identify asylum seekers who entered the country illegally in preparation for deporting them to Rwanda. According to a British government document, the first group of asylum seekers to be deported from Britain to Rwanda consists of 5700 individuals.
The British government has stated that Rwanda has “tentatively” agreed to accept asylum seekers coming from the United Kingdom, but it has acknowledged that only 2143 individuals will be included in regular arrival registration operations. Rwandan Health Minister Victoria Atkins confirmed that they expect the arrival of the scheduled group to be completed by the end of the year.
According to the British plan, anyone who arrived “illegally” after January 1, 2022, is eligible for deportation to Rwanda, with the first flights scheduled to begin in July 2024.
Both Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, have called on the UK government to reconsider its plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda. They proposed that practical measures be taken to address irregular flows of refugees and migrants, based on international cooperation and respect for international human rights law.
A report issued by the United Nations on April 22, 2024, warned airlines that transporting asylum seekers from the United Kingdom to Rwanda, “even if Rwanda’s law is enacted,” would make them complicit in internationally protected human rights violations.
The report emphasized that deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda or any other country where they may face the risk of forced return would violate the right to be free from torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
Michael O’Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, stated on April 23, 2024, that the UK Parliament’s adoption of the Rwanda Safety Law raises key issues regarding the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law in general. He stressed that “the UK government must refrain from deporting individuals under Rwanda’s policy and reverse the actual violation of the law project for judicial independence.”
According to the United Nations, legal challenges are expected against individual removal operations and the law itself. The UK was urged to swiftly adopt humanitarian and fair asylum policies, including ensuring the hearing of individuals’ asylum requests in the UK and expanding safe pathways to prevent people from undertaking deadly journeys.
The British Parliament approved a law on April 22, 2024, allowing the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda after reviewing their asylum requests, with the aim of deterring migrants arriving in the UK in small boats across the English Channel.
The law will come into effect once it is approved by King Charles III.
According to the agreement between the two countries (United Kingdom and Rwanda), which extends for 5 years, immigrants can stay in Rwanda if the authorities there approve their asylum requests. In case of rejection, immigrants can apply for asylum in Rwanda, with asylum seekers who have been deported to Rwanda being allowed to return to Britain.
