The British government has confirmed that no asylum seekers will be deported to Rwanda before the upcoming general election in July 2024, marking a potential end to its controversial Rwanda plan. This announcement came in response to a High Court request for clarification, contradicting earlier statements that deportations could start as soon as June 24.
The court’s request arose from a legal challenge to the Safety of Rwanda Act, brought by the FDA trade union, which represents senior civil servants. Despite the government’s latest statement, the judge confirmed that the hearing next week on the law’s validity would proceed as scheduled.
Following the announcement, migrant support groups called for the release of asylum seekers detained in anticipation of their removal. Over the past month, an unknown number of individuals have been arrested and taken to detention facilities, with video footage showing migrants being handcuffed and transported in vans. At least 24 detainees have been released on bail, according to a BBC report on May 29.
Initially, the government’s plan targeted those who arrived in the UK “irregularly” on or after January 1, 2022, and received notice by June 29, 2023, that their claim “may be inadmissible.” On May 15, the Home Office expanded the scheme to include individuals whose asylum claims had been processed and received a final negative decision.
The Safety of Rwanda Act, approved by Parliament in April, mandates that UK courts consider Rwanda a safe country, preventing them from blocking deportations. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated that deportations will commence if his government is re-elected on July 4. In contrast, Labour leader Keir Starmer has vowed to scrap the scheme if his party wins, with current polls indicating a likely defeat for Sunak’s government.
The government argues that the threat of detention and deportation will deter asylum seekers from crossing the Channel from France. So far in 2024, more than 10,000 people have made this journey, a 38% increase compared to the same period last year, according to PA news agency.
A recent UK parliamentary committee report has renewed criticism of the Rwanda plan. The Asylum Accommodation and UK-Rwanda partnership report accuses the government of wasting money on the scheme while leaving tens of thousands of people unable to claim asylum in limbo.
While forced removals are currently on hold, a voluntary departure scheme to Rwanda is ongoing. Under this plan, rejected asylum seekers are offered £3,000 (about €3,500) to relocate to Rwanda. Migrant support groups, including the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, have cautioned asylum seekers against accepting relocation offers from the Home Office without seeking legal advice. The first person sent to Rwanda under the voluntary scheme was reported to be a rejected asylum seeker of “African origin,” according to The Sun, with no further voluntary departures reported since.