Rwanda plan becomes law
The UK Government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, in Africa, has now become law. An asylum seeker is a person who has asked for protection after fleeing their country because of war or the threat of violence.
What is the new law?
Under the law, some asylum seekers arriving in the UK can be sent to Rwanda to ask for protection there instead. If successful, they would be allowed to live and work in Rwanda. However, if their claim is unsuccessful, they may have to seek protection in another country. They wouldn’t be allowed to return to the UK. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the law would stop people from making dangerous journeys from France to the UK on small boats (see panel). In November 2023, the last time the Government tried to put its Rwanda plan in place, the UK’s highest court ruled that it was against the law. The new law orders UK courts to ignore some human rights laws (the basic freedoms that everyone should have).
What happens next?
Rishi Sunak said that “plans are in place” and the first flights to take people to Rwanda would take off in 10 to 12 weeks. However, the plan will probably face further legal challenges. Charities and human rights groups have said that they will ask UK courts to stop asylum seekers from being removed to Rwanda.
What was the response?
Home Secretary James Cleverly called this a “landmark moment” in the Government stopping people from crossing the Channel in small boats. However, a letter to Rishi Sunak, signed by more than 250 UK charities, human rights organisations and faith groups, said the law was cruel and abandons the UK’s responsibility towards people seeking safety. Human rights organisation the Council of Europe also said the law “raises major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers”.