The government’s plan to send illegal migrants to Rwanda is a “flagrant violation” of international and refugee law, the UN refugee agency has warned.
Interior Minister Priti Patel this week signed an agreement with the East African country to fly people who arrive illegally in the UK to seek asylum.
In the 24 hours to Friday, 181 migrants in six boats were caught on small boats in the English Channel, the defense ministry said.
Gillian Trigs, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), described it as “unacceptable” and “disturbing” during the refugee crisis in Ukraine.
Read more: Why are migrants sent to Rwanda and how will it work?
Image: Rwanda is more than 4,000 miles from the United Kingdom
It is estimated that more than 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homes because of the war, according to the United Nations, with more than 4 million going to neighboring countries.
Ms. Trigs, an Australian, was asked about a similar offshore immigration system in her country.
“In my opinion, just as Australian policy is a gross violation of international law and refugee law and human rights law, so is this proposal by the UK government,” she told the BBC.
“It’s very unusual, very few countries have tried this, and the goal is mostly deterrent – and it can be effective, I don’t think we deny that.
“But what we are saying at the UN Refugee Agency is that there are much more legally effective ways to achieve the same result.”
She cited a similar abandoned plan by Israel to send refugees from Eritrea and Sudan to Rwanda, saying they “just left the country and started the process over.”
Image: Migrants are expected to be initially sent to a hostel in the Rwandan capital Kigali Image: Inside Hope House, where migrants will stay while their asylum applications are processed
“Violation of the Geneva Convention”
In an interview with The Guardian, Lord Dubs said he believed the agreement violated the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention.
“I think it’s a way to get rid of people the government doesn’t want, throw them away in a faraway African country, and they won’t have a chance to get out of there again. You can’t just walk them around like unwanted people. “
Announcing the plan this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he expects it to face legal challenges.
“We are convinced that our new migration partnership is fully in line with our international legal obligations, but we still expect this to be challenged in court,” he said.
Ms Patel, who signed the £ 120m deal in Kigali on Thursday, said it would soon be used as a “plan” for other countries, most notably Denmark.
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10:25 The Minister of Immigration defends the plan for Rwanda
“Now there is no doubt that the model we have presented, I am convinced, is world-class and for the first time in the world and will be used as a plan for the future, there is no doubt about that,” she said.
The interior minister dismissed concerns about the spending of senior government officials
Questions have been raised about the cost of the scheme, which some say will be more expensive than “accommodating migrants in the Ritz”.
Yesterday, it became clear that Ms. Patel had issued a “ministerial instruction” on the Rwanda plan, meaning it had canceled the financial goals of senior Interior Ministry officials.
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7:43 What do Rwandans think of the scheme?
In response to the reports, a source from the Ministry of the Interior told Sky News: “The employees of the Ministry of the Interior are clear that deterring illegal entry would lead to significant savings. However, such a deterrent effect cannot be quantified with certainty.
“It would be wrong to let the lack of precision modeling slow down policies aimed at reducing illegal migration, saving lives and breaking the business model of smuggling gangs.”
The government says the transfer of illegal migrants from the UK to Rwanda could begin in weeks.
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