British authorities this week began detaining asylum seekers they send to the African country, shortly after the controversial ‘Rwanda deal’ was ratified. British ministers confirmed this on Wednesday British media. Authorities will continue to make arrests over the next eleven weeks; The first flight with asylum seekers to Rwanda is scheduled to depart in July. It is not known how many people have been arrested so far.
The adopted law makes it possible to send asylum seekers – wherever they come from – to the African country. The legislation, proposed two years ago by then-prime minister Boris Johnson, was aimed at discouraging immigration to the UK.
Dozens have been arrested so far in cities such as Glasgow, Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol. Protests broke out at an immigration reporting center in Liverpool and an immigration office in Loughborough. According to Guardian There was a large demonstration in London, where a Sudanese national was detained on Monday and told he would be sent to Rwanda.
Win the votes
Rwanda will receive 433 million euros for the deal and 175,000 euros for each asylum seeker who actually arrives. Labor has previously spoken of “overspending” which would lead to little change. The United Nations and several human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized the agreement. Filippo Grandi, the High Commissioner for Refugees, said the law puts pressure on the rule of law and the rights of migrants in the UK, and “sets a dangerous precedent around the world”.
The British government expects to deport 5,700 migrants to Rwanda this year. Reducing illegal immigration is one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s priorities. Sunak, who is from the Conservative Party, hopes to win votes. His party has been faring poorly in the polls for some time now, with the local body elections coming up next Thursday.
In 2024, more than 7,500 migrants crossed the Channel from France to the United Kingdom by boat. Human rights organizations are expected to try to stop forced evictions through the courts. This happened last year too, when the British Supreme Court blocked extradition based on the circumstances.
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