Leaders of UN refugee and human rights organizations called on Britain to reconsider a bill sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, which was passed by parliament late Monday. Independent UN experts also called on airlines to boycott sending asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda.

– The new law marks a further step away from Britain’s longstanding tradition of providing protection for those in need, and goes against the Refugee Convention, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a statement.
press release.

He and Volker Türk, who is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, raised concerns about the asylum plan’s detrimental impact on “global responsibility sharing, human rights and refugee protection”. They called on the British government to reconsider the plan passed by parliament on Monday evening.

– Protecting refugees requires all countries – not just those in nearby crisis zones – to fulfill their obligations, Grandi continued.

The asylum plan involves sending asylum seekers who come to the UK irregularly to Rwanda. Their asylum applications will be processed there. And those deemed entitled to protection by Rwanda will, according to the plan, be resettled in Rwanda, some 6,400 kilometers away from the UK where they originally applied for asylum.

A Rwandan government spokesperson said they were satisfied with the law being passed AP news agency.

– We are committed to cooperation on migration and economic development with the UK and look forward to welcoming those relocated to Rwanda, the statement said.

But human rights activists are concerned about the human rights situation in Rwanda, and whether the East African country will send asylum seekers whose asylum applications are rejected back to countries where their rights are violated.

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The case battled for the British government

The asylum plan was first adopted by former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government in April 2022.

But since then the plan has faced several obstacles, such as the suspension of the first flight by the European court in June 2021, and the UK Supreme Court’s decision to declare the plan in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights in November 2023.

However, reducing the number of migrants arriving by sea in the UK remains one of the UK government’s main challenges. This is also one of the election promises of Rishi Sunak, who takes over as Prime Minister in October 2022. He considers Rwanda’s plan to be an important tool to reduce this number, because it is hoped that it will provide a deterrent effect if it occurs. considered a risk to apply for asylum in the UK.

Now that the bill has passed in the British Parliament, King Charles of England must approve the law. This is expected to happen quickly.

UN experts asked airlines not to contribute

Flights of asylum seekers to Rwanda will start leaving for the African country in ten to twelve weeks, according to Sunak.

But independent UN experts have contacted airlines and aviation authorities to remind them of their responsibility to prevent human rights violations.

– Even if the agreement between the UK and Rwanda is agreed, airlines and those arranging flights could be complicit in breaches of internationally protected human rights and court orders by facilitating deployments to Rwanda, this is stated in a press release.

UN experts also recommend that airlines that help send asylum seekers to Rwanda be held accountable.

And lawyers have told the newspaper Guard that they would try to halt individual deportations after Monday’s decision.