Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill

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Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill

Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill

Context: The UK parliament has approved a bill enabling the government to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for their claims to be assessed there. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has highlighted the urgency of addressing the influx of migrants arriving in small boats seeking refuge from violence and instability in various countries.

About:
• In April 2022, then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed an agreement with the Rwandan government allowing the UK to transfer certain asylum-seekers to Rwanda.
• This initiative was portrayed by the government as a means to combat human trafficking and save lives, given the perilous conditions in which many asylum-seekers attempt to enter the UK.
• Under the program, individuals arriving in Britain as undocumented stowaways in trucks or boats would be transported approximately 6,400 km to Rwanda.
• Upon arrival, they would undergo assessment for potential resettlement in Rwanda.
• The UK government allocated millions of pounds to its Rwandan counterpart to cover expenses related to housing and integrating the migrants as part of this pilot program.
• Initially intended to last five years, the scheme aimed to support migrants with access to training, healthcare,and shelter to facilitate their resettlement process.

Issue	Details
Rising Small Boat Arrivals	The number of migrants arriving in Britain on small boats increased drastically from 299 in 2018 to 45,774 in 2022
Cause of Increase	Migrants pay criminal gangs substantial sums to facilitate their illegal crossings across the English Channel.
Legislation Passed	The House of Lords approved the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.
Purpose of the Bill	Designates Rwanda as a \'safe third country\' to which asylum seekers arriving illegally in Britain can be sent for processing.
Objective of Sending Asylum Seekers to Rwanda	To address the influx of illegal arrivals by directing asylum seekers to have their claims processed in Rwanda.
Attempt to Overturn Supreme Court Ruling	The bill is an effort to sidestep a Supreme Court ruling that deemed Rwanda unfit due to its human rights violations.
Previous Supreme	The UK Supreme Court previously ruled that Rwanda\'s human rights record, including enforced disappearances and torture, made it an unsuitable destination for asylum seekers.
Government Response to Supreme Court Ruling	UK government signed a treaty with Rwanda in December 2023 to enhance protections for migrants, enabling the passage of the Safety of Rwanda Bill.

Criticism:

• The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) emphasized that asylum seekers should not be treated as commodities and transferred to other countries for processing, citing significant risks without adequate safeguards.
• In 2022, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) intervened by preventing the departure of the first plane from the UK to Rwanda under the asylum transfer plan.
• Opposition parties in the UK criticized the Rwanda plan, citing concerns over its high cost and its limited focus on addressing the majority of immigrants arriving in the country.
• The UNHCR cautioned against the practice of transferring refugees and asylum seekers to third countries without robust protections, highlighting potential dangers associated with such arrangements.