UK Parliament decides to expel migrants to Rwanda

The British Parliament has approved a bill to expel undocumented migrants who are seeking asylum in the UK  to Rwanda. The legality of this practice has been debated for several years.

Britain plans to repatriate undocumented migrants to Rwanda : what is known about the new bill

Under a proposal strongly supported by  British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and illegal migrants who traverse the English Channel would be deported from the UK to Rwanda. In Rwanda they will await Britain’s decision on their asylum request. It will be possible to contest the deportation ruling through legal proceedings.

The draft law on the expulsion of migrants, supported by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, is awaiting approval by the British King Charles III. The first flight carrying migrants is scheduled to leave the UK in July. About 350 asylum seekers who are least likely to receive asylum are on the UK Home Office’s list.

Since 2021, there has been debate on the law on there moval of unauthorized migrants. In April 2022, an agreement was reached between the UK and Rwanda struck a deal: Kigali agreed to accept migrants, and London promised to invest millions in the development of the African country.  £140 million has already been transferred by the UK to Rwanda. However, the first scheduled flight with migrants in June 2022 was suddenly canceled by a decision of the European Court of Human Rights.

Critics and concerns: what is behind the new law on the deportation of migrants to Rwanda?

In November 2023,  The UK’s Supreme Court determined that deporting migrants to Rwanda violated the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits inhumane and degrading treatment. They also characterize the bill as “ineffective, excessively harsh and costly.”

According to France-Presse, the recently passed law, which passed through parliament, is intended to review the ruling of the Supreme Court  from the previous year’s decision. The court noted that Rwanda is not considered a “safe place” for refugees by international standards because it does not guarantee fair processing of asylum claims and there is a risk of deportation to the refugees’ countries of origin, where their lives may be at risk.

A new UK law  acknowledges Rwanda as a “secure nation” for seeking refuge.The text of the document contains measures that will prevent the deportation of migrants from Rwanda to their nations of birth.  The legislation also includes legal procedures that enable the British authorities to “circumvent” judgments from the European Court of Human Rights, which are intended to prevent the extradition of asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda.