UK Parliament Approves Controversial Law Allowing Asylum Seekers to be Deported to Rwanda

After years of political and legal wrangling, the British Parliament last night passed the controversial law that allows asylum seekers to be deported to Rwanda. In that law, Rwanda is similar declared a safe country, which would allow the UK to legally transfer asylum seekers to an African country. Where do they end and are more European countries considering such a law?

People who cross illegally into the UK, for example through the Channel, can now be taken to Rwanda. It is not clear how many people this will affect. Around 40,000 migrants arrive in the UK illegally every year.

In practice, people will not be put on a plane from today or tomorrow. King Charles still needs to sign the law, as he does with all new laws. That may already happen today After that, it will certainly take “ten to twelve weeks” before the first flight leaves, says Prime Minister Sunak.

Rwanda is more often involved in migration treaties. For example, there are refugees who will leave in 2023 Libya was evacuated live in an African country. The UK has already allocated more than £100 million to ensure the country’s cooperation.

In the capital city of Kigali, around 500 people are ready to receive the migrants, Prime Minister Sunak has said. They are housed in accommodation such as Hostel Hope in Kigali. That hostel says it is ready for refugees: they have been there since former Prime Minister Johnson announced the law two years ago.

It can accommodate up to 100 people. In pictures it looks like a hotel, but the reception is questionable. For example, the maximum number of childcare places has not been established.

Tents are ready at the residence to process all asylum claims. More than 300 local officers have received training for this. British officials are also coming to Kigali to help with the procedure and to train new people.

The refugees end up in places like the Hostel of Hope:

The British Parliament can legislate and national judges can dictate the law, but internationally the United Kingdom must abide by various treaties. For example, the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states, among other things, that everyone has the right to a fair trial.

People also have the right to sue internationally, for example at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. This can be done on a case by case basis and in most cases takes several years.

The new law states that the decision that Rwanda is safe cannot be challenged. Migrants and asylum seekers who will soon be deported to Rwanda are currently being selected.

The United Kingdom is the first country to implement this plan, but it is not the first country to make an agreement with Rwanda to receive asylum seekers. In Denmark, a law has already been approved in 2021 to export the asylum procedure to the African country, although it has not yet been implemented.

Voices for this were also raised in the Netherlands. last year February The House of Representatives wanted to communicate with Denmark about establishing centers for asylum seekers outside the European Union.

Human rights groups and refugees are not happy with the new law. The UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, said start this year still there are too many risks for refugees who have to stay in Rwanda.

In November, the UK’s highest courts ruled that there was too is unsafe, as there is a risk that the migrants would be returned illegally to their country of origin. There were also concerns about the asylum process in Rwanda.

After that Prime Minister Sunak made new agreements with Rwanda and implemented the new law to address the security concerns of the judges.

The UN human rights chief is asking the British through the UNHCR to reconsider the plan. The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights will also speak X against the law. He says he is very concerned about the rights of asylum seekers and migrants who end up in Rwanda.