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The UK government announced Thursday it would send migrants crossing its borders illegally to Rwanda – in a bid to halt illegal immigration, which immediately drew criticism from left-wing politicians and activist groups.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the deal with the East African country, saying it would allow anyone arriving illegally, as well as all illegal immigrants who have arrived since January 1, to be transported to Rwanda.
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Johnson said in a speech that the move was made possible by Britain’s exit from the European Union, which gave Britain greater control over its immigration policies.
“This innovative approach, fueled by our shared humanitarian drive and enabled by the Brexit freedoms, will provide safe and legal avenues of asylum while disrupting the gangs’ business model, as it means economic migrants using the asylum system cannot get there will remain in the UK,” Johnson said. “While those truly in need will be given adequate protection on arrival in Rwanda, including access to legal services, and the opportunity to make a new life for themselves in this dynamic country, supported by those we provide Middle.”
A group of people believed to be migrants are taken aboard a Border Force vessel to Dover, Kent, following an incident involving a small boat in the Channel on Wednesday April 13, 2022. Britain’s Conservative government has struck a deal with Rwanda to send some asylum-seekers thousands of miles away to the east African country, a move opposition politicians and refugee groups have condemned as inhumane, unworkable and a waste of public funds. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)
Successive British governments have battled illegal immigration from France across the English Channel. Migrants sneak onto the back of lorries or other vehicles crossing the Channel between Calais and Dover – or on small boats across the Channel itself, often organized by criminal gangs.
Johnson said seven out of 10 migrants who arrived on small boats were men under 40. Johnson said attempted border crossings went through “apparently safe countries, including many in Europe, where they could and should have sought asylum.”
More than 28,000 arrived in the UK by boat in 2021, up from 8,500 in 2020. This has raised concerns about exploitation by gangs, similar to how cartels have exploited the crisis along the US-Mexico border, and the danger to migrants.
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Johnson’s speech focused on the cost of illegal immigration to the UK taxpayer, claiming Britain is generous to immigrants but “we cannot sustain a parallel illegal system”.
“Our compassion may be infinite, but our capacity is not,” Johnson said, saying it was unfair to ask UK taxpayers to write a “blank check” for anyone who wants to live in the UK
The policy was immediately criticized by human rights groups, which dismissed Johnson’s claims that Rwanda was a safe country. It drew criticism from the left-wing Labor Party, with leader Keir Starmer calling the plan “unworkable” and “blackmailing” and accusing Johnson of trying to deflect attention from controversy over his attendance at parties during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it had communicated its objections to both countries.
“UNHCR remains firmly opposed to agreements aimed at transferring refugees and asylum-seekers to third countries without adequate guarantees and standards. Such arrangements merely shift asylum responsibilities, circumvent international obligations and run counter to the letter and spirit of the Refugee Convention,” UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner for Protection Gillian Triggs said in a statement.
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The Rwandan government said Britain would pay about $157 million for housing and other services for migrants as part of the five-year deal.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta said the agreement “must ensure that people are protected, respected and empowered to advance their own ambitions and settle down permanently in Rwanda if they so choose.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.