How UK is planning to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda

On Tuesday, the UK parliament passed the "Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024", a controversial piece of legislation that's meant to deport illegal immigrants from the UK to the African nation of Rwanda.

Every year since 2018, the number of individuals entering the UK illegally via dangerous boat rides across the English Channel has been increasing. While only 299 people made the dangerous journey in 2018, the number shot up to over 45 thousand in 2022, until the current Conservative government cracked down on illegal immigration in 2023.

As part of PM Rishi Sunak's government's pledge to "stop the boats", the Rwanda Bill -- as this legislation has come to be known -- plans on deporting illegal immigrants from the UK, regardless of where they're from, to Rwanda in East Africa.

There, these individuals will have the option to apply for asylum even though they undertook dangerous journeys from their home countries for asylum in the UK.

This bill has been in consideration in the UK parliamentary system for over a year, during which time the UK Supreme Court ruled that the bill was unlawful.

The ruling stated that legitimate refugees would be at risk of being sent back to their home countries by Rwanda, where they would face danger. Putting asylum seekers in the face of this level of risk would be a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), of which the UK is a signatory.

Furthermore, the court expressed concerns about whether Rwanda could be considered safe, given the country's sketchy human rights record. In fact, the court referred to the UK government's own criticism of Rwanda in 2021 over extrajudicial killings, deaths in custody, enforced disappearances and torture.

The Rwanda Bill has stoked further controversy as it contravenes many of the UK's own legal frameworks related to human rights. In fact, the bill explicitly states that Rwanda is to be considered a safe country, and instructs that any argument on the grounds of Rwanda's safety should be disregarded. The bill contradicts some relevant sections of the UK's Human Rights Act 1998, and other British and international laws.

The BBC reports that this scheme of removing asylum seekers from the UK's borders to Rwanda could apply to as many as 52 thousand individuals.

While Rishi Sunak claimed in the past that this bill would save the UK "billions" in the long run, it is currently set to cost the UK taxpayer a pretty penny.

The BBC reports that by the end of 2023, the UK government had already paid £240 million to the Rwandan government, a payment that could rise to £370 million over five years.

The UK will pay Rwanda a further £120 million if over 300 people are sent there, in addition to £20,000 for each individual.

On top of that, up to £150,000 could be paid per person deported to Rwanda, according to the BBC report.

The BBC previously reported that keeping these individuals within the UK instead of sending them elsewhere would cost the UK government £63,000 less than what they are set to spend now.

After months of deliberation, the bill was passed in the UK parliament after multiple attempts by the upper house -- the House of Lords -- to amend the bill did not succeed. The upper house dropped its position after the PM threatened to keep both houses in session until the bill passed.

The timing of the bill's passage and the urgency with which it was pushed through has been a point of discussion, as the UK is set to hold a general election no later than January, 2025. With the latest opinion polling giving the opposition Labour Party a healthy lead over the incumbent Conservatives, many believe that the ministers rushed to pass the bill so flights to Rwanda could begin flying as soon as this summer, delivering upon a crucial promise of Rishi Sunak's government. In fact, in a statement made after the bill's passage, the PM said flights would leave the ground within 10-12 weeks.

Meanwhile, the legality of this bill will be argued and lawsuits will be filed. Already, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Michael O'Flaherty, has said that the bill raises "major issues about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law".