UK to send asylum seekers to Rwanda despite granting protection to dozens fleeing nation in past decade

Expert warns of immediate concern those being sent to African country could face similar threats to those who have fled in recent years

The UK is set to send thousands of asylum seekers to be processed in Rwanda despite granting protection to dozens of people fleeing the African nation in the past decade (Gareth Fuller/PA)

The UK is set to send thousands of asylum seekers to be processed in Rwanda despite granting protection to dozens of people fleeing the African nation in the past decade.

The first people to be relocated to Rwanda under the deal will receive formal notifications within weeks, the government has said, with the first flights expected to take place in the coming months.

The plans have drawn fierce criticism from refugee charities, rights groups and politicians, with the Refugee Council branding it “cruel and nasty” and Amnesty International raising concerns about the nation’s “dismal human rights record”.

Home secretary Priti Patel has defended the decision, insisting it “fully complies with all international law and national law”, while prime minister Boris Johnson has described the country as one of the safest in the world.

But analysis of Home Office figures, confirmed by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, reveals a total of 69 Rwandan nationals fleeing the country were granted protection in the UK between 2011 and 2021.

There was a total of 2,150 Rwandan asylum applications in the UK between 2001 and 2021.

In the same period, there were 1,229 grants of protection – either full refugee status or another form of permission to stay in the UK.

Dr Peter William Walsh, senior researcher at the Migration Observatory, said there was an immediate concern those being sent to Rwanda could face similar threats as those who have fled the country for the UK in recent years.

He told The Independent: “The plans for processing asylum applications and subsequently housing refugees in Rwanda have already raised legal and human rights concerns.

“Even in the last couple of years the UK has accepted claims for asylum from Rwandans on the basis of a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country, so there are immediate issues concerning the question of whether those sent there by the UK might face similar threats.”

Priti Patel has said the “vast majority” of those who arrive in the UK through means deemed “illegal” by the government, such as on unauthorised boats or stowed away in lorries, will be considered for relocation to Rwanda while their claims are assessed “offshore”.

It is understood adults will be prioritised for relocation under the scheme, with officials insisting families arriving in the UK will not be split up.

An initial £120million is expected to be given to the Rwandan government under a trial scheme.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, which estimated the scheme could cost £1.4 billion a year, said the plans were “cruel and nasty”, and accused the government of “lurching from one inhumane policy to the next”.

Home secretary Priti Patel shakes hands with Rwandan foreign minister Vincent Birutaare after signing the partnership agreement at a joint news conference in Kigali, Rwanda (Jean Bizimana/Reuters)

He added: “Treating people like human cargo by using the force of military to repel vulnerable people who have already endured extreme human suffering, and expelling them to centres in Rwanda, a country with a questionable record on human rights, is dangerous, cruel and inhumane.

“These policies will do little to deter desperate people from seeking protection or stop the smugglers but only lead to more human suffering, chaos and at huge expense to the UK taxpayer.”

A spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said: “UNHCR does not support the outsourcing of asylum states’ obligations.

“This usually leads to the shifting rather than the sharing of responsibilities to protect refugees and to states with less developed asylum systems.

“In our experience it often violates international law and doesn’t lead to solutions.”

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: “It is depressingly predictable for Boris Johnson to try and distract from his lies and lawbreaking by announcing new plans that not only treat refugees appallingly, but also costs the British taxpayer more.

“The UK has a proud history of providing sanctuary to those in need, including people fleeing persecution in Rwanda. But whilst thousands of families are opening their homes to refugees, this Conservative Government is slamming the door in their face.

“These dystopian proposals will do nothing to stop dangerous Channel crossings or combat the smuggling and trafficking gangs. After almost three years of posturing, Boris Johnson and Priti Patel are making this problems worse – one shoddy decision at a time.”

Home secretary Priti Patel said the global approach to asylum and migration was “broken” and a new system was needed because people were “dying attempting to come to the UK illegally”.

She added: “Today we have signed a world-leading Migration Partnership with Rwanda which can see those arriving dangerously, illegally or unnecessarily into the UK relocated to have their claims for asylum considered and, if recognised as refugees, to build their lives there.

“This will help break the people smugglers’ business model and prevent loss of life, while ensuring protection for the genuinely vulnerable. 

“This government is delivering the first comprehensive overhaul of the asylum system in decades. At the heart of this approach is fairness.

“Access to the UK’s asylum system must be based on need, not on the ability to pay people smugglers.

“The demands on the current system, the cost to the taxpayer, and the flagrant abuses are increasing.

“Our New Plan for Immigration will improve support for those directly fleeing oppression, persecution and tyranny through safe and legal routes, deter illegal entry, and make it easier to remove those with no right to be in the UK.”