The United Kingdom has begun a controversial operation to relocate migrants to Rwanda, with more operations planned in the future. The British government faced legal and political obstacles for two years before pushing through the legislation in April. The move allows the U.K. to send asylum seekers who entered the country from a “safe” country after January 1, 2022, to Rwanda. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak initially said he would accept that the policy was unlawful, but reversed course in January. Political consultant and former adviser to Boris Johnson, Thomas Corbett-Dillon, criticized the government for waiting too long to take action on the migrant crisis.
The BBC found that 52,000 asylum seekers could potentially be eligible for the program, with 5,700 identified in the first group targeted for removal. Both the U.N. refugee agency and the Council of Europe raised concerns about human rights violations and damage to international cooperation to address the global migrant crisis. British Home Secretary James Cleverly defended the policy, saying it was essential to stop illegal migration and break the business model of people smuggling gangs. The enforcement teams are working to swiftly detain those who have no right to be in the country in order to begin the deportation process.
The first flights to Rwanda are expected to take off in 10 to 12 weeks, with the prime minister anticipating multiple flights a month throughout the year. The Hope Hostel in Rwanda, which housed college students who lost their parents during the 1994 genocide, will also host the deported asylum seekers from the U.K. Authorities in Rwanda have been preparing for two years to receive the migrants. While the deportation operation was criticized for its celebratory tone, the government also announced the first voluntary deportation, with one asylum seeker accepting a payment to relocate to Rwanda.
Some British outlets criticized the Home Office’s video announcing the deportation operation as “celebratory,” with reactions online calling it “performatively cruel” and “shameful.” Despite the criticism, one asylum seeker voluntarily accepted relocation to Rwanda. Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council urged the British government to focus on creating a fair and controlled asylum system rather than implementing headline-grabbing schemes. The government’s push to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda has sparked controversy and debate within the U.K. and internationally.
