Britain’s Innovative Approach: Partnering with Rwanda to Safeguard Asylum Seekers
The British government wants to send some asylum seekers to the African country of Rwanda, and a new law has been passed to push the plan forward even after the country’s Supreme Court ruled it illegal.
What is the Rwanda Plan?
The plan would see some asylum seekers in the UK sent to Rwanda, where their claims would be examined under a five-year deal. If these people’s claims are successful, they will be granted refugee status and allowed to live in the UK.
If these individuals’ claims are unsuccessful, they will be able to find another way to reside in Rwanda or apply for asylum in a safe third country. Government ministers in the UK are debating whether implementing the plan will reduce the number of asylum seekers arriving in Britain in small boats.
How many people can be sent to Rwanda?
Under the plan, any person who entered the country illegally after January 1, 2022, can be deported to Rwanda, and there is no limit to the number of such persons. It should be noted that under this plan, the first flight of asylum seekers in the UK was supposed to go to Rwanda in June 2022, but the plan was appealed to the court, after which it was cancelled. So far, no UK asylum seeker has been sent to Rwanda.
On April 22, Prime Minister Rishi Sonak said in a press conference that the first flight to Rwanda would take off in 10 to 12 weeks. Earlier, he said that the flights would start in the spring of 2024. Rishi Sunak declined to provide details on the number of people likely to be sent to Rwanda but said several flights would depart each month.
What was the decision of the British Supreme Court, and is Rwanda safe? In November 2023, the British Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Rwanda project was illegal. The court said that asylum seekers who have genuine problems risk being sent back to their countries where they may face risks. According to the court, the plan is a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits torture and inhuman treatment, and Britain is also among the signatories of this convention.
What is the Rwanda Bill?
The government introduced a new law after the British Supreme Court ruled that Rwanda is a safe country. The law would require the approval of both houses of parliament, which would order the courts to ignore key parts of the Human Rights Act to allow the plan to be implemented despite the Supreme Court’s order. The bill would also force courts to ignore any other British or international law that comes in the way of sending refugees to Rwanda. Some British MPs have criticized the law as it is against international law.
