|
On April 14, 2022 the British Government announced a scheme for dealing with asylum seekers arriving 'illegally' by boat from across the Channel. Under the scheme agreed with the government of Ruanda such asylum seekers will be transported to Ruanda where their application for asylum will be processed. Migrants who have their claims accepted will be encouraged to settle in Ruanda.
The scheme has come in for strong criticism notably from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, in his Easter address Justin Welby deemed the scheme of contractiing out the handling of asylum seekers as unethical.
The justification for the scheme, according to the UK Home Office, is that it will deter people smugglers who bring people across the Channel in open boats and put lives at risk. The Home Office says that Ruanda that has considerable experience of receiving asylum seekers from neighbouring countries will process claims in accordance with the UN Refugee Convention.
It can also be argued that the UK is among the world's richest countries and Ruanda is among the 25 poorest. In terms of available space Ruanda has twice the population density of the UK.
Is this an appropriate response to handling the many hundreds of asylum seekers who cross the Channel each year? Will it deter people smugglers when it gets known that their clients will not get asylum in the UK. Are there other ways of stopping people smuggling? See more about asylum seekers and how many we take in the UK
Source: The Guardian April 16, 2022