Voice of America
19 Mar 2023, 10:35 GMT+10
LONDON - Britain's interior minister arrived in Rwanda Saturday for a visit aimed at reinforcing the United Kingdom government's commitment to a controversial plan to deport some asylum-seekers to the African country.
Ahead of her visit, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the migration policy "will act as a powerful deterrent against dangerous and illegal journeys."
Britain's Conservative government wants to stop migrants from reaching the U.K. on risky journeys across the English Channel, and a deportation agreement signed with Rwanda last year was part of measures intended to deter the arrivals. More than 45,000 people arrived in Britain by boat in 2022, compared with 8,500 in 2020.
Under the plans, some migrants who arrive in the U.K. in small boats would be flown to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed. Those granted asylum would stay in the African country rather than return to Britain.
But the 140 million-pound ($170 million) plan has been mired in legal challenges, and no one has yet been sent to Rwanda. The U.K. was forced to cancel the first deportation flight at the last minute in June after the European Court of Human Rights ruled the plan carried "a real risk of irreversible harm."
Human rights groups cite Rwanda's poor human rights record, and argue it is inhumane to send people more than 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) to a country they don't want to live in.
Earlier this week, a group of asylum-seekers from countries including Iran, Iraq and Syria were granted permission to launch court appeals against the British government's decision to relocate them.
Defending the plan, Braverman said it will "support people to rebuild their lives in a new country" as well as boost Rwanda's economy through investments in jobs and skills.
She is expected to meet President Paul Kagame and her counterpart, Vincent Biruta, to discuss details of the deportation agreement.
Sonya Sceats, chief executive at the nonprofit Freedom from Torture, described the policy as a "cash-for-humans' plan.
"Rather than pushing through this inhumane and unworkable policy, ministers should focus on establishing safe routes to the U.K. and tackling the unacceptable backlog of asylum claims, so people fleeing war and persecution can rebuild their lives with dignity,' she said.
Get a daily dose of Iran Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Iran Herald.
More InformationLONDON, England: Reuters has reported that struggling Virgin Orbit, owned by billionaire Richard Branson, is nearing a $200-million investment deal ...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: To comply with the requirements of the "Made in America" laws, a $7.5 billion federal ...
LONDON, England: During a Bloomberg conference held in London this week, Luke Ellis, CEO of hedge fund Man Group, said ...
NEW YORK, New York - Wall Street jumped on Friday, although gains were modest after bank shares in Europe came ...
LOS ANGELES, California: Some 30,000 education workers in Los Angeles, backed by teachers, went on a three-day strike, canceling school ...
LONDON, England: Despite rising air fares, a potential global economic recession and risks of gridlock at some airports in Europe ...
JERUSALEM - Israel's defense minister became the first ally in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition to break ranks Saturday as ...
Jerusalem - A drive by the hard-right coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enact sweeping changes to Israel's ...
MUQDADIYAH, Iraq - Hussein Maytham and his family were driving past the palm tree grove near their home after shopping ...
Brussels is reportedly concerned about an uptick in dual-use items being shipped to Central AsiaThe EU may introduce trade restrictions ...
BEIRUT - Iran-backed fighters were on alert in eastern Syria on Saturday, a day after U.S. forces launched retaliatory airstrikes ...
Tamil Nadu (Chennai) [India], March 25 (ANI): The second G20 Framework Working Group (FWG) meeting under India's G20 Presidency concluded ...