Three things to know about deportations of migrants to Rwanda

Despite criticism from human rights activists, the United Nations, the Anglican Church and even the British royal family, the Conservative government Boris Johnson is determined: The first deportations of migrants to Rwanda arrived illegally United kingdom It should take place on Tuesday evening. This project, according to the British government, is intended to discourage Illegal crossings of the channelWhich continues to increase despite repeated promises since Britain’s exit from the European Union. 20 minutes Evaluate this highly controversial procedure as the first flight risks taking off almost empty.

What is happening in the UK today?

Barring last-minute cancellations, the UK government is preparing He will be deported to Rwanda on Tuesday One of the first immigrants to arrive illegally in the UK. A private chartered flight with illegal immigrants is scheduled to take off from London in the evening and land the next morning in Kigali.

But after various individual pleas, the first flight risks taking off almost empty, with only seven migrants on board. According to Care4Calais, tickets for 24 of the 31 people initially planned to go to Rwanda have been cancelled. Among those initially scheduled to leave were Iranians, Iraqis, Albanians and a Syrian. New appeals are due Tuesday.

Why did London introduce this procedure and how does it work?

The illegal crossing of the Channel is the bane of the conservative British government and regularly causes tension with France, as many immigrants wish to reach England. Since the beginning of the year, more than 10,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel illegally to reach British shores in small boats. Increase compared to previous years, already scored. By sending migrants who arrived illegally in the UK to Rwanda, more than 6,000 kilometers from London, Johnson’s government intends to deter illegal crossings of the canal.

“The criminal groups that endanger people’s lives in the canal must understand that their economic model will collapse under this government,” Boris Johnson said on LBC radio. “While we know that attempts will be made to thwart the process and delay evictions, I will not be deterred and will remain fully committed to implementing what the British public expects,” the minister said. British Home Secretary Priti Patel, once a very controversial plan was announced in mid-April. Recently, she also praised the “new step” towards implementing the partnership with Rwanda as part of the government’s strategy to reform the “broken asylum system and break the evil business model of smugglers”.

Under its agreement with Kigali, London will initially fund the system up to 120 million pounds (140 million euros). For its part, the Rwandan government has specified that it will offer the migrants the possibility of “permanently settling”.

Is this project legal?

This controversial project Validated by British Justice. The latter dismissed in first place, and then on appeal, last-minute appeals by associations, notably Care4Calais and Detention Action, to try to stop the departure. On Monday, the High Court in London rejected another appeal by Asylum Aid. The associations do not intend to waive and intend to pursue their appeal in court, with a detailed examination of the legality of the procedure scheduled for July before the Supreme Court.

“This immoral policy brings shame to the United Kingdom,” appreciating in a letter published by the newspaper on Tuesday times, the spiritual leaders of the Anglican Church and 23 bishops. Critics dismissed by Secretary Liz Truss: “Our policy is completely legal. It is completely moral. Rwanda is a safe country and the immoral people in this case are the human traffickers.”

United nations There is also strong opposition to this measure, and human rights organization Human Rights Watch believes that London is “seeking to completely transfer its asylum responsibilities to another country”, in contravention of the Geneva Convention. The civil service union PCS, whose members include customs officers who are supposed to carry out the deportations, has also challenged the plan in court.

according to timesPrince Charles He himself would consider the project “disturbing”, when he should take part in the Commonwealth meeting from June 20 in Rwanda. In Kigali, the prince and Boris Johnson are due to meet President Paul Kagame, who has ruled Rwanda since the end of the 1994 genocide, which killed 800,000 people according to the United Nations. His government is regularly accused by NGOs of suppressing freedom of expression, criticism, and political dissent.