migration
Report: London pays asylum seekers to leave Rwanda
The Rwandan government confirms that the man is currently staying in the “Hope Hostel”, where other arrivals from Great Britain will also be accommodated in the future. photo
© Atulinda Allan/AP/dpa
Shortly before the English local elections, the British government says it is making progress with its plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. The timing causes criticism.
Even before the implementation of the controversial plan for mass deportations Rwanda has persuaded Britain to voluntarily leave the East African country for a rejected asylum seeker by paying thousands of pounds.
As the Sun newspaper reported, the man, who comes from an unnamed African country, traveled to Rwanda on Monday by scheduled flight. There he received around 3,000 pounds (3,500 euros) as entry money from the British treasury. He would also be provided with food and accommodation for the next five years.
The Rwandan government confirmed that the man had arrived the day before and was initially accommodated in the “Hope Hostel”, where other arrivals from Great Britain will also stay in the future before they are distributed throughout the country.
Deputy government spokesman Allain Mukuralinda said the action was not part of the Conservative British government’s much-criticized plan to deport thousands of irregular asylum seekers to Rwanda, regardless of their origin. They should ask for asylum in the East African country, which critics accuse of human rights violations. There are no plans to return to Great Britain.
First arrests before deportation to Rwanda
Initially, around 5,700 asylum seekers who came to Great Britain without the necessary documents are to be flown out. On Wednesday, the Home Office in London announced that the first migrants had been taken into custody in nationwide operations. The authority did not give a number. An exact date for the first deportation flight has not yet been set. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently said it would take ten to twelve weeks – that would be in July. According to a report in the Times newspaper, authorities do not know the current whereabouts of more than 3,500 of the 5,700 people who will be the first to be deported.
Critics accused the Conservative government of a PR stunt ahead of the English local elections, in which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Tories are threatened with a serious defeat. “The Tories are so desperate to send any flight to Rwanda before the local elections that they have now paid someone to fly there,” said Labor home affairs spokeswoman Yvette Cooper.
She emphasized that the cost of the project was two million pounds per person. But some conservatives also criticized the price as being too high and not serving to deter irregular migrants. On the other hand, the “Sun” spoke of a historic moment that shows that it is possible to deport asylum seekers to a third country.