Rwanda asylum plan

(Redirected from Rwanda plan)

The UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership[a] was an immigration policy proposed by the governments of Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak whereby people whom the United Kingdom identified as illegal immigrants or asylum seekers would have been relocated to Rwanda for processing, asylum and resettlement. Those who were successful in claiming asylum would have remained in Rwanda, and they would not have been permitted to return to the United Kingdom. The UK would invest in a development fund for Rwanda and financially support migrant's relocation and accommodation costs to move to Rwanda.

British home secretary Priti Patel (left) and Rwandan foreign minister Vincent Biruta (right) sign the policy on 14 April 2022

The first flight for this plan received legal clearance from the High Court of Justice and was scheduled for 14 June 2022. A last-minute interim measure by the European Court of Human Rights led to the plan being halted until the conclusion of the legal action in the UK. At the end of 2022, the High Court further ruled that though the plan was lawful, the individual cases of eight asylum seekers due to be deported that year had to be reconsidered.[1] The Court of Appeal ruled on 29 June 2023 that the plan was unlawful; with an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom leading to a concurrence with the lower court on 15 November 2023.[2] The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 overruled the courts' judgments and declared Rwanda a safe country.

After Keir Starmer and the Labour Party won the 2024 general election, Starmer announced that the Rwanda plan would be cancelled and replaced by the Border Security Command. The total cost of the scheme is estimated to be £700 million, and four migrants were voluntarily relocated while it was in place.

Description

edit
 
UK Home Secretary James Cleverly with Rwandan Foreign Secretary Vincent Biruta in December 2023, after signing a new treaty related to the asylum plan.

The UK and Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership,[3] also known as the Rwanda asylum plan,[4][5] was a policy that was announced in a speech by British prime minister Boris Johnson on 14 April 2022.[6] It was an immigration policy whereby people identified by the United Kingdom as being illegal immigrants or asylum seekers would have been relocated to Rwanda for processing, asylum and resettlement.[6][7] In return, the United Kingdom is set to accept an unspecified number of the "most vulnerable refugees" currently residing in Rwanda.[8][9] It was signed for a duration of five years by British home secretary Priti Patel and Rwandan foreign minister Vincent Biruta on 13 April 2022.[10] Its stated aims were to decrease the number of migrant crossings in the English channel, stop human smuggling, and boost Rwandan investment and development.[11][12]

 
Kigali, Rwanda's capital, where asylum seekers would have been relocated.

Johnson said it would "save countless lives" and would break the business model of "vile people smugglers".[11] The United Kingdom would have paid Rwanda an "economic transformation and integration fund" amounting to £120 million, and would also have funded each immigrant in an amount of between £20,000 and £30,000 for their relocation and temporary accommodation under the scheme.[13] The agreement with the Rwandan government did not specify how many migrants would have been accepted under the scheme and it was reported that a facility was already available that could hold 200 immigrants, and that there was the ability to “scale up very quickly” as necessary.[14][15] In comparison, the government registered 45,755 people arriving by small boats in 2022, 60% higher than in 2021, according to the Home Office. That has led to a record backlog of 161,000 asylum cases.[16]

Upon their arrival in Rwanda, migrants would have been temporarily accommodated in the capital Kigali while their claims for asylum were processed.[17] If successful, migrants would have then received permanent residency in the country and been offered permanent accommodation. It was expected that all claims would, at most, have taken three months to be processed.[18] Once in Rwanda, migrants would not have been allowed to return to the United Kingdom to seek asylum.[19]

The United Kingdom has stated that asylum in the country would still have been granted on an individual basis, but depending on the strength of each claim. Rwanda stated that they would not accept immigrants with criminal records, nor would it accept families or anyone under the age of majority.[20][19]

Application

edit
 
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a press conference on the Rwanda asylum plan, 22 April 2024

On 14 May 2022, Johnson said in an interview with the Daily Mail that fifty migrants had been told that they would be transported to Rwanda over the next two weeks, and that his government was ready for legal opposition to the plan's enforcement.[21]

The first flight under this plan was scheduled for 14 June 2022, and was expected to carry more than 30 people.[22] By 14 June, the number of people expected on the flight had been reduced to seven after successful legal challenges had removed a number of people from it. On the evening of 14 June it was confirmed the flight would no longer depart on that date following an interim measure from the European Court of Human Rights.[23] Home Secretary Priti Patel said that she was "disappointed" by the outcome and that preparations for "the next flight" were to begin immediately.[23] Liz Truss vowed to expand the scheme during the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election and at the start of her premiership.[24]

Between the agreement being signed in 2022 and the end of 2023, 21 Rwandans were granted asylum in the United Kingdom.[25][26]

In April 2024, after the Safety of Rwanda Act removed legal impediments to the scheme, the Home Office launched raids to detain asylum seekers across the UK in preparation for their deportation.[27] A minority of those on the list of 5,700 earmarked as the first cohort for deportation were successfully located for detention.[28]

In April 2024, a separate voluntary removal programme was launched and one asylum seeker whose asylum claim was unsuccessful was paid £3,000 and sent to Rwanda under the voluntary programme.[29]

On 1 May 2024, it was reported that the FDA, the union representing senior civil servants, had launched legal action against the scheme.[30] The FDA was concerned that, because the scheme allows ministers to ignore the European Court of Human Rights, the FDA's members would be forced to violate international law and therefore the Civil Service Code.

edit
 
Minister for Countering Illegal Migration Michael Tomlinson during the signing of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.

Two campaign groups – Detention Action and Care4Calais – joined the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and four asylum seekers to challenge the plan in the High Court of Justice and request a last-minute injunction to stop the first flight from taking off on 14 June 2022.[31] However, on 10 June 2022 the High Court refused to grant the injunction requested.[32]

At 19:30 on the day of the planned flight, the European Court of Human Rights issued an interim measure which stated that one of its seven passengers, an Iraqi man, would face "a real risk of irreversible harm" if he was transported to Rwanda. That interim measure led the other six passengers to appeal, some to judges in London. The removal orders were scrapped and the flight was cancelled.[33] After the ECHR intervention, some political figures called for the UK to leave the ECHR.[34]

On 19 December 2022, the High Court of Justice ruled that the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was lawful.[35] However, a group of asylum seekers selected for deportation appealed the case to the Court of Appeal, which on 29 June 2023 ruled that the plan was unlawful because Rwanda is not a safe country. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed to appeal the verdict at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.[36]

The government subsequently launched its planned appeal against the ruling. The Supreme Court scheduled a three-day hearing on the policy to begin on 9 October 2023.[37] During the hearing, the government argued that Rwanda could be trusted to treat refugees humanely, while the lawyers representing the migrants described the country as an "authoritarian one-party state"[38] with a "woefully deficient" asylum system.[39] In a unanimous ruling the court agreed with the Court of Appeal's decision, finding the plan unlawful on the grounds of deficiencies in Rwanda's asylum system.[40]

After concluding a new treaty with Rwanda on 5 December 2023, on 7 December the government introduced the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024, which was passed on 23 April 2024 after many rounds of "parliamentary ping-pong."[41] The Act overrules the judgments and declares Rwanda a safe country.

The ECHR intervention under their "Rule 39" has been described as an example of a pyjama injunction.[42]

Cancellation

edit
 
Keir Starmer announced the cancellation of the scheme shortly after becoming prime minister in July 2024.

After calling the 2024 general election, Sunak stated that no deportation flights would take place before the election, but that they would take place if the Conservative Party were re-elected.[43] Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, pledged to end the scheme if elected.[44] Following Labour's victory in the election, Starmer confirmed that he would scrap the Rwanda scheme, saying it was "dead and buried before it started", and would be replaced by the Border Security Command.[45][46]

The plan is reported to have cost £700 million. Under it, a total of four asylum seekers went to Rwanda, all voluntarily.[47]

During his unsuccessful bid to become Conservative Party leader following the 2024 election, James Cleverly pledged to revive the Rwanda plan if he was elected.[48]

Reception

edit

United Kingdom

edit

A YouGov poll, reported on 14 April 2022, found that 42% of those questioned disagreed with the plan, while 35% were in support. Results differed depending on what political party members of the public supported. The majority of Conservative supporters and Brexiteers agreed with the scheme, whereas the majority of Remainers, Liberal Democrat supporters and Labour supporters were opposed. Labour voters in the Red Wall and Wales were most likely to agree with the policy out of the party's supporters. People in Scotland and London, as well as young people nationwide, opposed the scheme the most. In contrast, the elderly gave it the most support.[49] By 13 June 2022, a YouGov poll reported that 44% of those questioned supported the plan, and that 40% were opposed to it.[50] A further poll by YouGov on 30 June 2023 indicated 42% in support and 39% opposed.[51]

Demonstrations were held outside the Home Office the day the policy was announced and charities warned of Rwanda's human rights violations.[52] The Rwanda deportation flight was to have been carried out by Privilege Style, a Spanish-based charter operator that had previously conducted deportation flights for the Home Office. Seven airline operators have been identified as providing contract services for such flights the previous year.[53] Privilege Style later announced that it would not be making the requested deportation flights due to a campaign by pressure group Freedom from Torture.[54]

As summarised by the Evening Standard on 15 April 2022, the Daily Mirror and The Guardian called the plan "inhumane", while the i called it "cruel", and the Daily Mail called its critics "left-wing lawyers and naysayers".[55]

Home Office under-secretary, Matthew Rycroft was reported on 17 April 2022 to have expressed doubt over whether the plan would deter migrants or provide value for money while Home Secretary Priti Patel said that the prospect of being sent to Rwanda would disrupt the people-smuggling trade.[56] In the following year, other Home Office officials expressed similar doubts about the plan's feasibility.[57]

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said during an Easter Sunday sermon that the scheme raised "serious ethical questions" and did not stand "the judgement of God".[58]

On 10 June 2022, The Times reported that Prince Charles had privately described the plan as "appalling" and feared that it would overshadow the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Rwanda on 23 June, where the Prince represented the Queen.[59]

On 15 June 2022, in an exchange in the House of Commons, Labour's Yvette Cooper criticised the scheme saying that in the past Rwanda had shot asylum seekers because they protested about food shortages, and had sent asylum seekers back to Syria and Afghanistan. She said Patel was failing to get a better agreement with France to prevent people crossing the Channel because relevant relationships with France broke down.[60]

Speaking to GB News, the former home secretary Amber Rudd described the plan as being "brutal" and "impractical", saying that the UK government should try and improve relations with France to help deal with migrants crossing the English Channel to try and enter the UK.[61]

The Leader of the Opposition and Labour Party Keir Starmer claimed Boris Johnson was using the scheme as a "desperate announcement to distract from his own lawbreaking"; Johnson had been fined the day prior due to his involvement in the Partygate scandal.[62] His party also criticised it as an "unworkable, unethical and extortionate policy that would cost the UK taxpayer billions of pounds during a cost of living crisis".[63] Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey echoed similar concerns to Starmer. He also criticised the cost of the scheme, expressing his desire for it to be spent towards the cost of living crisis instead.[64] The Scottish National Party responded negatively to the policy, with then-Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon calling it "despicable", SNP Commons leader Ian Blackford calling it "evil" and Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf using it as evidence of institutional racism in the British government.[65]

In April 2024, Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris sought legislation to return asylum seekers to the UK amid a surge in arrivals from the UK via the Irish border, while the UK aimed to implement its Rwanda asylum policy amidst discussions on reducing net migration.[66]

Rwanda

edit
 
Sunak meeting Paul Kagame outside 10 Downing Street in May 2023.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has defended the asylum plan, dismissing allegations that "the U.K. gave Rwanda money to dump people here," further stating that it was "just a problem that needs to be solved and Rwanda is ready to help". He favourably compared the plan to his 2018 proposal to give asylum to Libyan refugees.[67][68]

Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza, leader of the opposition in Rwanda, criticised the policy as dealing with British issues where Rwanda's problems should be dealt with first. She also claimed that Rwanda was not prepared for the new immigrants: "If our people don't have enough to eat, if our kids or Rwanda's kids don't have the possibility of going to school because of the poverty, how will the Rwandan government give education to the kids of refugees?"[69]

Bishop Laurent Mbanda, the head of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, supported the plans. He said that the nation's people empathised with refugees due to their own experiences from the 1990s Rwandan genocide.[70]

Vincent Biruta, foreign secretary of Rwanda, supported the policy shortly after its announcement. In a joint news conference with the British home secretary Priti Patel on 14 April 2022, Biruta said that Rwanda will provide the refugees with "a dignified life with shelter, with skills for them to be able to socially and economically integrate into our society, or to have those skills for them to be able to integrate into their country of origin when they decide to go back to their countries".[71] On 4 December 2023 he signed a treaty with British home secretary James Cleverly in an attempt to address the concerns of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.[72]

International

edit

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is "firmly opposed" to the policy,[73] believing it to be unlawful, prejudiced and impractical. Its assistant high commissioner Gillian Triggs said the United Kingdom was "attempting to shift its burden to a developing country" and that the policy "would not comply with the UK's international legal responsibilities". Triggs has called for more options for legal immigration to be introduced to the United Kingdom.[74]

Similar plans

edit

Israel

edit

Israel implemented a deportation agreement with Rwanda aimed at sending African asylum seekers out of Israel. The plan was officially announced in January 2018, though it had been in development earlier.[75][76] The agreement was largely kept confidential, with details only emerging through court proceedings and testimony from deported asylum seekers.[75][77][78] Under the terms of the deal, Israel reportedly agreed to pay Rwanda $5,000 for every asylum seeker deported there.[79] Asylum seekers deported to Rwanda under this agreement reportedly found themselves without legal status or rights, and many were subject to arrest or deportation back to their home countries. This situation led many to leave Rwanda, effectively becoming refugees once again.[80] The scheme ultimately failed when Israel's supreme court suspended deportations in 2018.[81] Rwanda subsequently denied ever signing a formal agreement with Israel, and the deal was widely criticized as a violation of international law and human rights.[82]

Denmark

edit

Denmark has what has been described as a zero-refugees policy, under which it had passed legislation in 2021 for refugees to be sent outside the European Union to be processed;[83][84] Kagame himself had spoken of talks with the Danish government for Rwanda to participate as early as April 2022.[67]

On 18 August 2022, Denmark opened an office in Rwanda in preparation to move forward with its plan.[85] By 9 September, both Denmark and Rwanda agreed to move forward with it.[86] The plan was met with polarised reactions, facing condemnation both domestically and internationally, while also receiving support from parties across the political spectrum.[87]

European Union

edit

Ministers from EU memberstates Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic requested in early 2024 the European Commission should find a solution for sea rescued migrants to be brought to a safe place in a partnering country outside the European Union. European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson turned the request down and pointed to the New Pact on Migration and Asylum of the European Union instead,[88] while Margaritis Schinas concluded in June 2024, plans like the United Kingdom's Rwanda initiative would not comply with EU laws and values.[89]

Italy

edit

Italy plans to deport its asylum seekers to Albania, but the agreement has been temporarily blocked by the Albanian constitutional court. Unlike the UK, Italy has no plans to cede its asylum responsibilities to Albania, or to prevent people who obtain asylum on Albanian soil from travelling to Italy. Any expulsions would also take place via Italy. The cost of this system is estimated at €650 million over five years.[90][91][92] 12 men were sent to the camp in Albania in mid-October 2024. But a few days later, referring to a verdict of the European court of justice from 4 October 2024, which required a country deemed "safe" to be safe on all its territory and towards everybody, a court in Rome deemed Egypt and Bangladesh, where the detained, rejected asylum seekers originated from, do not meet that definition. The government was ordered to return the 12 men from Albania back to Italy.[93]

Other cases

edit

Sky News compared the UK's scheme to those in use by other countries.[84] In addition to Denmark, it also described the "Pacific Solution" that Australia announced in 2001, under which refugees were to be sent to Papua New Guinea and Nauru;[84] the scheme was modified in 2013 to deter refugees trying to arrive by boat.[84] It also described how the EU had tried measures, including sending migrants to Niger, to try to stop migrants dying trying to cross the Mediterranean from Africa into EU countries.[84] A report released by the UK National Archives in 2023 revealed that Jonathan Powell had proposed a similar plan to Tony Blair in 2003. The proposed scheme would have involved sending asylum seekers to holding camps on the Isle of Mull before removing them to safe havens in third-party countries such as Kenya and South Africa.[94] It was also suggested that the government could renounce the European Convention on Human Rights in order to avoid legal challenges and demonstrate a strong stance against illegal immigration.[95]

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ Also known as the Rwanda asylum plan, Rwanda asylum scheme, Rwanda plan or Rwanda deal.

References

edit
  1. ^ Doherty, Caitlin; Crowther, Zoe (19 December 2022). "Home Office Rwanda deportation policy is legal, court rules". Civil Service World. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Supreme Court rules Rwanda asylum policy unlawful". BBC News. 15 November 2023. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  3. ^ "World first partnership to tackle global migration crisis". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  4. ^ Daly, Patrick (15 April 2022). "UK's Rwanda asylum plan against international law, says UN". The Independent. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  5. ^ Powell, Rob (15 April 2022). "Priti Patel issued 'ministerial direction' to push through Rwanda asylum plan despite civil servants concern, Sky News understands". Sky News. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  6. ^ a b "UK to send asylum seekers to Rwanda under controversial new deal". Al Jazeera. 14 April 2022. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  7. ^ Easton, Mark (14 April 2022). "Rwanda asylum seekers: What does the UK's deal mean?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  8. ^ "What was the UK's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda?". BBC Home. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  9. ^ Dathan, Matt (17 April 2022). "Vulnerable refugees head from Rwanda to UK". The Times & The Sunday Times. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Memorandum of Understanding between the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  11. ^ a b Faulkner, Doug (14 April 2022). "Rwanda asylum seekers: UK government criticised over 'cruel' plan". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Why are migrants being sent to Rwanda and how will it work?". Sky News. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  13. ^ Selby, Jenn (16 April 2022). "Priti Patel could face Home Office mutiny over Rwanda asylum plan". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  14. ^ Quadri, Sam (23 July 2022). "Rwanda says it can only bring in 200 migrants from UK under controversial deportation scheme". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 16 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  15. ^ Hymas, Charles (22 July 2022). "Rwanda can accommodate just 200 Channel migrants – and can't stop them returning to Britain". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  16. ^ Colchester, Max; Luhnow, David (6 March 2023). "U.K. To Bar All Asylum Seekers Who Cross Channel on Boats". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  17. ^ "Rwanda asylum plan is 'unacceptable', UN refugee agency warns". Sky News. 16 April 2022. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  18. ^ Chaplain, Chloe; Ferguson, Emily (14 April 2022). "Inside the Rwanda centre which will house asylum seekers and UK Channel migrants". i News. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  19. ^ a b Hymas, Charles; Turner, Camilla (14 April 2022). "One-way ticket to Rwanda for tens of thousands of Channel migrants". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  20. ^ Syal, Rajeev (14 April 2022). "Rwanda asylum plan: who does it target and is it going to happen?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  21. ^ Jackson, Marie (14 May 2022). "Boris Johnson: Fifty migrants told they will be sent to Rwanda". BBC News. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  22. ^ Osbourne, Samuel (31 May 2022). "Rwanda deportation: First migrants to be sent to east African country in a fortnight, says Home Office". Sky News. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  23. ^ a b Lee, Joseph; Faulkner, Doug (14 June 2022). "Last-minute legal battle grounds Rwanda asylum flight". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  24. ^ Musoni, Edwin (5 October 2022). "Liz Truss backs UK-Rwanda migration deal". The New Times. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  25. ^ Wood, Poppy; Blackall, Molly; Singh, Arj (14 January 2024). "UK granted asylum to Rwandans after deportation deal deemed country safe". iNews. Archived from the original on 15 January 2024. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  26. ^ Wood, Poppy (29 February 2024). "UK grants asylum to 15 more Rwandans after deportation deal deemed country safe". iNews. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  27. ^ Carrell, Severin; Syal, Rajeev (28 April 2024). "Home Office to detain asylum seekers across UK in shock Rwanda operation". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 April 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  28. ^ Farley, Harry; Seddon, Paul; Casciani, Dominic (30 April 2024). "Government denies losing track of likely Rwanda deportees". BBC. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  29. ^ Seddon, Paul (1 May 2024). "Failed asylum seeker given £3,000 to go to Rwanda". BBC. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  30. ^ Casciani, Dominic (1 May 2024). "Rwanda: Civil servants mount court challenge over new law". BBC. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  31. ^ Holland, Lisa (10 June 2022). "Campaigners' High Court bid to block government's 'unlawful' plans to send first asylum seekers to Rwanda". Sky News. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  32. ^ Durbin, Adam (10 June 2022). "Rwanda asylum plan: UK court allows removal flight planned for Tuesday". BBC News. Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  33. ^ Lee, Joseph; Faulkner, Doug (15 June 2022). "Rwanda asylum flight cancelled after legal action". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  34. ^ Allen, Kirsten (8 February 2023). "Tories consider UK's exit from European Convention on Human Rights". thejusticegap.com. The Justice Gap. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  35. ^ Picheta, Rob; Braithwaite, Sharon (19 December 2022). "UK's controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda ruled lawful by court". CNN. Archived from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  36. ^ "Suella Braverman's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda ruled unlawful by Court of Appeal". The Independent. 29 June 2023. Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  37. ^ Dathan, Matt (28 September 2023). "Number 10 backs threat to leave human rights convention". The Times. (subscription required)
  38. ^ Casciani, Dominic (10 October 2023). "Rwanda can be trusted, Supreme Court told". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  39. ^ Taylor, Diane (9 October 2023). "Supreme court asylum plan hearing told Rwanda 'tortures and murders'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  40. ^ Bancroft, Holly (15 November 2023). "Sunak's Rwanda plan in tatters after Supreme Court rules it unlawful". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  41. ^ JDawson, Joanna, and McKinney, C. J., "Research Briefing: Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill 2023-24", House of Commons Library, 8 December 2023, accessed 9 December 2023
  42. ^ McDonald, Andrew (17 January 2024). "Pajama drama! How European judges' 'pyjama injunctions' are tearing Britain's Tories apart". Politico magazine. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  43. ^ Seddon, Paul; Casciani, Dominic (23 May 2024). "No Rwanda flights before election, says Rishi Sunak". BBC. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  44. ^ Francis, Sam; Seddon, Paul (10 May 2024). "Keir Starmer vows to scrap Rwanda asylum scheme 'straight away'". BBC. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  45. ^ Riley-Smith, Ben; Hymas, Charles (5 July 2024). "Starmer kills off Rwanda plan on first day as PM". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  46. ^ "Keir Starmer says scrapping UK's Rwanda migrant deportation plan".
  47. ^ Specia, Megan (22 July 2024), "A U.K. Deportation Plan Cost $900 Million. Only Four People Left.", The New York Times
  48. ^ Nevett, Joshua (2 September 2024). "James Cleverly vows to resurrect Rwanda scheme". BBC News.
  49. ^ Woodcock, Andrew (14 April 2022). "Voters oppose Boris Johnson plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, new poll finds". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  50. ^ Mason, Chris (14 June 2022). "Rwanda asylum flight: Where does legal setback leave ministers?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  51. ^ "To what extent do you support or oppose the government's proposed policy to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda?". YouGov. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  52. ^ "Boris Johnson wants first 'illegal' migrants flown to Rwanda in six weeks". Express & Star. 15 April 2022. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  53. ^ Varley, Len (9 July 2022). "Further Rwanda Deportation Flights Planned by UK Home Office - So Who Profits?". AviationSource. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  54. ^ Varley, Len (21 October 2022). "UK government's 'airline of last resort' pulls out of Rwanda deportation flights following public pressure". AviationSource. Archived from the original on 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  55. ^ "What the papers say – April 15". Evening Standard. 15 April 2022. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  56. ^ Sparrow, Andrew (17 April 2022). "Home Office chief questions whether Rwanda plan will deter asylum seekers". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  57. ^ Dathan, Matt (4 December 2023). "Rwanda plan is 'political gimmick that won't work'". The Times & The Sunday Times. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  58. ^ Holton, Kate (17 April 2022). Popper, Helen (ed.). "Archbishop of Canterbury condemns Britain's Rwanda asylum plan". Reuters. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  59. ^ Low, Valentine (10 June 2022). Dathan, Matt (ed.). "Prince Charles: Flying migrants to Rwanda is 'appalling'". The Times. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  60. ^ Sparrow, Andrew (15 June 2022). "No 10 revives prospect of UK leaving European convention on human rights after Labour calls Rwanda plans 'a shambles' – as it happened". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  61. ^ "Ex-Tory home secretary Amber Rudd says Rwanda plan is 'brutal'". BBC News. 27 October 2022. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  62. ^ "Starmer: 'PM is a lawbreaker and a liar and needs to go'". Yahoo! News. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  63. ^ Chaplain, Chloe (13 April 2022). "Channel migrants to be sent to Rwanda under plan by Priti Patel to export asylum seekers". i News. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  64. ^ Pooran, Neil (14 April 2022). "Rwanda asylum seekers plan is a 'cynical distraction' from partygate – Davey". The Independent. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  65. ^ Pooran, Neil (14 April 2022). "Rwanda asylum seeker plans condemned as 'despicable' by Nicola Sturgeon". Evening Standard. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  66. ^ "Rwanda plan: Irish government wants to send asylum seekers back to UK". BBC News. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  67. ^ a b Butera, Saul (27 April 2022). "Rwanda Defends U.K. Migration Deal, Weighs Similar Denmark Plan". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  68. ^ "Rwanda denies 'trading people' allegation in UK asylum deal". Africanews. 22 April 2022. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  69. ^ Mararike, Shingi (15 April 2022). "'Nobody knew about it': How the UK's 'world first' migration deal has gone down in Rwanda itself". Sky News. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  70. ^ "Rwandan Anglican archbishop defends UK asylum plan". Today.ng. 18 June 2022. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  71. ^ Durmaz, Mucahid. "'Inhumane': UK plan to send refugees to Rwanda sparks criticism". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  72. ^ "New Rwanda asylum treaty deals with Supreme Court concerns, says James Cleverly". BBC News. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  73. ^ "UNHCR 'firmly' opposing UK-Rwanda offshore migration processing deal". UN News. 14 April 2022. Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  74. ^ Gentleman, Amelia; Allegretti, Aubrey (15 April 2022). "UN refugee agency condemns Boris Johnson's Rwanda asylum plan". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  75. ^ a b Green, Andrew (27 June 2017). "Inside Israel's Secret Program to Get Rid of African Refugees". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  76. ^ Beaumont, Peter (17 January 2022). "Rwanda's history of receiving deportees raises concerns for potential UK scheme". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  77. ^ Harkov, Lahav (5 April 2016). "Supreme Court strikes Rwanda from transcript on migrants and transparency". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  78. ^ "Rwanda Denies Signing Secret Deal With Israel on Asylum Seekers". Haaretz. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  79. ^ "Israel to Pay Rwanda $5,000 for Every Asylum Seeker Deported There". Haaretz. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  80. ^ "Israel: Deportation of African asylum-seekers is a cruel and misguided abandonment of responsibility". Amnesty International. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  81. ^ "Israel court suspends plan to deport African migrants". BBC News. 15 March 2018. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  82. ^ "Rwanda denies secret deal to accept asylum seekers deported by Israel". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  83. ^ "Danish MPs back controversial plan to relocate asylum seekers outside Europe". France 24. 3 June 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  84. ^ a b c d e Mehta, Amar; Whiteside, Philip (13 June 2022). "How the UK's Rwanda plan mirrors immigration policies in Australia, Israel and Denmark". Sky News. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  85. ^ Wienberg, Christian (18 August 2022). "Denmark Opens Rwanda Office as Part of New Asylum Center Plan". Bloomberg.
  86. ^ "Denmark and Rwanda move forward on asylum seeker transfer plan". The Local. 9 September 2022. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022.
  87. ^ Mac Dougall, David (11 October 2022). "Denmark election: Parties on left and right back controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda". Euronews. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  88. ^ "EU-Kommission weist Ruanda-Modell zurück". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  89. ^ De Meyer, Karl (12 June 2024). "Migration : Bruxelles donne aux Vingt-Sept six mois pour formaliser leurs plans". www.lesechos.fr. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  90. ^ "Nouvel avatar de l'externalisation : l'accord Italie-Albanie". Plein Droit. 139 (4): 1–2. 2 February 2024. doi:10.3917/pld.139.0005. ISSN 0987-3260.
  91. ^ "Giorgia Meloni veut externaliser en Albanie les procédures d'asile". Le Monde.fr (in French). 8 November 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  92. ^ "Le futur centre de rétention pour migrants voulu par Meloni en Albanie soulève des critiques". Le Monde.fr (in French). 6 June 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  93. ^ "Migranti in Albania, respinte le richieste di asilo. Ma i giudici di Roma non convalidano i trattenimenti: il rientro domani a Bari. Ira di Meloni: "Lunedì cdm"e". repubblica.it (in Italian). 18 October 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  94. ^ "Rwanda-style asylum plan was 'nuclear option' for Blair in 2003, records reveal". The Guardian. 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  95. ^ "Tony Blair considered sending asylum seekers to a camp on the Isle of Mull, documents reveal". The Independent. 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
edit