Great Britain wants to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda in the future in order to curb migration into its own country. The Irish Foreign Minister says that neighboring Ireland is already feeling the consequences.
According to information from Dublin, migrants are increasingly moving from Great Britain to Ireland. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda policy is already having an impact on the EU country, said Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, according to the British newspaper “Daily Telegraph”.
The asylum seekers are afraid of being deported from Great Britain to Rwanda, so they are seeking refuge in Ireland and other EU countries. Conservative British MP Marco Longhi told the Daily Telegraph that the Irish data showed that the deterrent was working.
Ireland: 80 percent of asylum seekers come via Great Britain
The government in Dublin estimates that more than 80 percent of asylum seekers in Ireland enter the country via the border from Great Britain. After Brexit, Great Britain and the EU agreed to leave this border open in order to avoid a re-emergence of the Northern Ireland conflict. But the open border also means that there are practically no checks on migrants there.
Recently, social tensions in Ireland have increased due to increased immigration. Between May 2022 and April 2023, more than 140,000 people arrived, more than in 16 years. There are repeated protests from local residents, which could now get even worse after the British decision to go to Rwanda.
Rwanda deal is highly controversial
On Tuesday night, the British Parliament passed a law declaring Rwanda a safe third country. This allows the conservative government in London to deport asylum seekers to the East African country.
They should apply for asylum there; there are no plans to return to Great Britain. In return, the African country receives money from Great Britain. The first deportation flights should start in twelve weeks at the latest. The government in London wants to curb immigration and implement one of its key election promises.
Human rights activists see the agreement as a violation of international obligations. The Irish government also sharply criticized the project. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of a “geopolitics of cynicism.”