The government plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing in an attempt to deal with small boats crossing the English Channel.
Boris Johnson is set to say action is needed to combat “vile human smugglers” who are turning the ocean into a “water graveyard” in a speech on Thursday.
Following the Prime Minister’s speech, Interior Minister Priti Patel is expected to provide further details on the “Partnership for Migration and Economic Development” with Rwanda after visiting the East African nation.
Image: Rwanda is 6000 miles from the United Kingdom
Charities have warned that a “cruel and nasty solution” to “offshore” some asylum seekers more than 6,000 miles away will not only not deal with the problem, but “lead to more human suffering and chaos” and will cost approximately £ 1. 4 billion.
Mr Johnson will warn that the number of people crossing the English Channel could reach 1,000 a day for weeks. About 600 people arrived on Wednesday.
“I accept that these people – whether 600 or 1,000 – are looking for a better life, the opportunities that the United Kingdom offers and the hope for a new beginning,” he is expected to say.
“But it was these hopes – these dreams – that were exploited. These vicious human smugglers are abusing the vulnerable and turning the English Channel into a water graveyard, with men, women and children drowning in unfit boats and suffocating in refrigerated trucks.
He will argue that the country voted to “control” immigration in the Brexit referendum and say “our compassion may be endless, but our ability to help people is not.”
Image: Boris Johnson will argue that action is needed to combat “smugglers of vile people”. Photo: AP
“So just as Brexit has allowed us to regain control of legal immigration by replacing free movement with our point-based system, we are also regaining control of illegal immigration with a long-term asylum plan in that country,” he said. expected to say.
“This is a plan that will ensure that the United Kingdom has the world’s leading asylum offer, providing generous protection to those who are directly fleeing the worst of humanity by settling thousands of people each year in safe and legal ways.
It remains unclear whether the new rules will apply only to those who have arrived through what the government calls illegal means.
Image: Priti Patel is expected to reveal further details about the partnership with Rwanda
The British Red Cross has said it is “deeply concerned” about plans to “send traumatized people around the world to Rwanda”.
Zoe Abrams, executive director of the humanitarian network, said: “The financial and human costs will be significant; Evidence from where offshoring has taken place elsewhere shows that it leads to deep human suffering, plus the bill that taxpayers will be asked to pay is likely to be huge. “
She added: “We are not convinced that this drastic measure will also prevent desperate people from trying to cross the English Channel. People come here for reasons we all understand, such as the desire to reunite with loved ones or because they speak the language. the harsher can do little to stop them from risking their lives. “
Ministers have a hard time
The prime minister’s announcement signaled an attempt to restart the government’s immigration policy after a record year for migrants.
Behind the language and messages we have seen before about “regaining control of our borders” and implementing the outcome of the Brexit referendum is a political proposal that will be highly controversial.
Following the Prime Minister’s speech, Interior Minister Priti Patel, who is in Rwanda, will sign an agreement described as a partnership for migration and economic development with the East African country.
In essence, this deal means that some of these people, who are arriving illegally in the UK in small boats, will be relocated to Rwanda to have their asylum applications processed on another continent, thousands of miles away.
This drastic action to stem the flow of migrants from Calais will cause significant controversy, with criticism already coming from all sides. Charities have called the policy “cruel”, while questioning its cost, which they say could exceed £ 1 billion.
There was also strong opposition on both sides of the parliamentary division. The House of Lords has already tabled several amendments to the proposal, while Conservative MPs such as David Davis have questioned whether it is legal.
With a limited period between now and May 11, when the Queen’s speech is due, the government has a battle in its hands. Ministers must find a way not only to convince parliament, but also activists, activists and some sections of the public that the treatment of migrants in Rwanda is not only a successful strategy but also morally justified.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “Offshore the UK’s asylum system will do absolutely nothing to address the reasons why people take dangerous journeys to find safety in the UK.
“It won’t do much to stop them from coming to this country, it will only lead to more human suffering and chaos – at a huge cost of around £ 1.4 billion a year.
Several other sites, including Ascension Island, Albania and Gibraltar, had previously been rejected.
Government ministers are under pressure to accept more refugees fleeing the Russian war in Ukraine, and the UK’s visa system has been criticized for being too bureaucratic.
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