Britain is to send a first group of asylum seekers to Rwanda in two weeks as part of a policy aimed at disrupting people-smuggling networks and stemming the flow of migrants across the Channel, according to the government.
In April, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government announced plans to deport certain asylum seekers in the United Kingdom to Rwanda, a move that garnered condemnation from both within and beyond Johnson’s Conservative Party, as well as from many NGOs.
According to the Home Office, an initial group of migrants has begun to receive formal letters informing them that they are being relocated to Rwanda to ‘rebuild their lives in safety.’
‘The Removal Direction confirms that they will be going to Rwanda and when,’ said Priti Patel, Britain’s Home Secretary. ‘The first flight is scheduled to take place next month, on June 14th.’
The plan to transfer unwelcome asylum seekers to Africa comes as Johnson faces the mounting prospect of a confidence vote, with some of his legislators saying they have lost faith in his leadership as a result of unlawful parties thrown at his home during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Concerns about immigration played a significant role in the Brexit vote in 2016, and Johnson has been under pressure to deliver on his vow to ‘reclaim control’ of Britain’s borders.
5Over 28,000 migrants and refugees made the journey from mainland Europe to Britain last year, largely in small boats.
The government has disputed complaints that the strategy is inhumane, arguing that it is worse to foster a system in which many asylum applicants are exploited by people traffickers.
The number of asylum applicants on the first flight to Rwanda was not disclosed by the Home Office.
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