What is the U.K. plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda?

London — The British Parliament passed a law Monday evening that will allow asylum seekers arriving on British shores without prior authorization to be sent to Rwanda and barred from returning to the United Kingdom. The British government says the law will have a deterrent effect on anyone trying to enter the UK. United Kingdom “illegally”.

THE controversial program was voted after the UK Supreme Court deemed it illegaland he has been condemned by human rights groups and the United Nations refugee agency.

King Charles III, who is now set to give the Rwanda Bill his royal ascension into official law, reportedly criticized the bill as “appalling” almost two years ago, as it was taking shape.

Hours after the law was passed, French authorities said at least five people, including a child, had drowned in the English Channel while trying to reach the United Kingdom on a small, overcrowded boat.

Why would the UK send asylum seekers to Rwanda?

The plan for Rwanda was drawn up by the British Conservative government in response to a number of arrivals of migrants and asylum seekers on British shores on small boats from France.

With local asylum programs underfunded and overwhelmed, the government houses asylum seekers in hotels, where they are effectively trapped and unable to work until their applications are processed, which can take years . These hotels cost the government about £8 million – almost $10 million in taxpayer money – every day to rent, according to CBS News partner BBC News.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government says the Rwandan policy will act as a deterrent to prevent migrants and asylum seekers from trying to reach the UK.

What is the UK law on Rwanda?

The new policy will give UK immigration authorities the power to send to Rwanda any asylum seeker entering the UK “illegally” after January 2022. These people may also be barred from seeking asylum in the Kingdom -United.

This will apply to anyone arriving in the UK without prior authorization – anyone traveling on a small boat or truck – even if their aim is to seek asylum and they have legitimate grounds for doing so.

These people can, under the new law, be immediately sent to Rwanda, 4,000 kilometers away in East Africa, to have their asylum applications processed. According to the law, they could obtain refugee status in Rwanda and be allowed to stay there.

What are the problems with Rwandan law?

The law has been the subject of intense controversy and political wrangling.

In November 2023, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the program was illegal and violated the European Convention on Human Rights, as it said genuine refugees would risk being deported to their home countries, where they could suffer harm. The judgment also cited concerns about Rwanda’s human rights record.

The final legislation passed on Monday evening orders the court to ignore parts of the Human Rights Act and other UK and international rules, such as the Refugee Convention, which would also block deportations to Rwanda, reported the BBC.

Rights groups said they would launch legal proceedings against the deportation of people to Rwanda as quickly as possible. This could delay return flights.