Zambia ‘interested’ in taking asylum seekers
African state ‘interested’ in one-way flight asylum plan but wants to see UK’S existing scheme in action
Zambia could become the next country to take in UK asylum seekers after “expressing an interest” in the Government’s Rwanda scheme. The southern African state is said to be “potentially interested” but is waiting to see how the Rwanda agreement works out. The disclosure came as two charities and the Border Force staff union launched a court bid to block the Rwanda deportation plans and injunct the first flights scheduled for June 14.
ZAMBIA could become the next country to take in UK asylum seekers after “expressing an interest” in the Government’s £120million Rwanda scheme.
The southern African state is said by Government and Border Force sources to be “potentially interested” but is waiting to see how the agreement to remove migrants from the UK to claim asylum in Rwanda works out.
“One or two countries like Zambia are potentially interested. They will wait and see what happens in Rwanda before deciding whether it is worthwhile and the political ramifications of it,” said a source familiar with the plan.
The disclosure came as two charities and the Border Force staff union launched a court bid to block the Rwanda deportation plans and injunct the first flights scheduled for June 14.
The Public and Commercial Services union, alongside charities Care4calais and Detention Action, is challenging the removal of four migrants as unlawful on multiple grounds including breaches of their human rights.
More than 90 of the 130 migrants due to be removed to Rwanda next week have already lodged legal challenges and officials expect all to have submitted challenges by the end of the week.
Government sources admitted that there was a “very high” risk the legal action could scupper the June 14 flights although one said: “It will go even if there is just one person left on it because we will already have paid for it.
“We will take on the legal action. It is just whether a judge grants an injunction. We cannot do anything until the injunction has been dealt with.”
Under the Rwanda deal, the UK will pay the east African country £120million and foot the £12,000 bill for sending each migrant on a one-way flight.
The Government had been in talks with Albania and Ghana to take migrants from the UK but the disclosure of the negotiations led to them withdrawing amid fears of a political and public backlash.
The Zambian embassy was contacted two weeks ago by The Daily Telegraph but has so far not responded to requests for comment. Zambia already has more than 100,000 refugees within its borders, largely from Congo and Burundi.
Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, praised its generosity towards refugees in 2019 after witnessing its “progressive” approach including finding work for them.
Tom Pursglove, a Home Office minister, said last month of the Rwanda deal. “I doubt it will be the last of those sorts of agreements reached, involving countries around the world,” he said.
David Neal, chief inspector of borders and immigration, yesterday told MPS that he had not met Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, since starting his job 14 months ago and had seen six scheduled meetings with her cancelled.