In late April, the United Kingdom Parliament approved Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s bill to deport migrants to Rwanda. The incoming law, titled Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration), works with the nation’s Immigration Acts; by declaring Rwanda a safe third country, the bill allows the government to send any asylum seekers to Rwanda as early as this summer.
Justifying their deportation efforts, Sunak explains that the bill would “deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings and break the business model of the gangs who exploit them.” After years of migrants arriving in unreliable forms of transportation—inflatable boats in crime-ridden waters—Sunak hopes to truly make migrants’ lives safer.
Meanwhile, observers from many other countries find many flaws in the United Kingdom’s discouragement of asylum-seekers.
Firstly, migrants have little to no control in the removal process. Against their will, they will be sent away regardless of circumstance or any objections.
Additionally, the passing of the bill demonstrates a growing trend of anti-refugee legislation, as well as sets a potentially harmful precedent; basic human rights of protection are completely disregarded under a mandatory deportation policy.