The United Kingdom has a plan to curb asylum-seekers from making the perilous journey across the English Channel through smuggling networks.
As part of a new “economic development” partnership between the British and Rwandan governments, tens of thousands of migrants could be sent to Rwanda to complete the asylum process.
“We must ensure that the only route to asylum in the U.K. is a safe and legal one,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. “Those who try to jump the queue or abuse our systems will find no automatic path to set them up in our country but rather be swiftly and humanely removed to a safe third country or their country of origin.”
In return, the British government will funnel the equivalent of over $156 million toward “economic development and growth” into Rwanda, which is located in Africa. The new plan “may” retroactively apply to migrants who have arrived since Jan. 1, 2022, Johnson said, without providing details on how it could be carried out.
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The plan drew criticism from some in British politics, citing Rwanda’s human rights record, with Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper calling it “unworkable and unethical.”
In 2021, United Nations member countries critiqued Rwanda’s human rights record, calling for the end of torture, ill-treatment, deaths under government custody, and more. The U.K. encouraged Rwanda, given that it is a member of the commonwealth, to model its values of “democracy, rule of law, and respect for human rights.”
Rwanda sought to address the concerns, offering assurances that migrants would be “protected, respected, and empowered to further their own ambitions and settle permanently in Rwanda if they choose,” Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Vincent Biruta said.
Those resettling in the country are promised full protection under Rwandan law, equal access to employment, and enrollment in healthcare and social services.
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Last year, more than 28,000 migrants and refugees crossed the English Channel from mainland Europe to the U.K., up from a little over 8,000 in 2020. The journey has proven to be deadly for some. Last November, 27 migrants drowned after their boat deflated attempting to travel from France to Britain.
