Britain has initiated its inaugural asylum seeker relocation to Rwanda through a voluntary program, as reported by The Sun Newspaper on Tuesday. The unnamed migrant was reportedly flown out of the country on Monday.
This voluntary scheme operates independently from a forthcoming forced deportation initiative aimed at dissuading asylum seekers from crossing the English Channel in small boats to reach Britain. Under the voluntary scheme, the government has pledged to provide asylum seekers with up to £3,000 ($3,747.60) each to relocate to Rwanda, with the aim of alleviating the backlog of refugees who have arrived in the UK in recent years.
This agreement is part of an existing government policy where financial assistance is offered to asylum seekers to return to their home country. However, in this specific plan, individuals will receive financial support if they opt to reside in Rwanda.
A government spokesperson noted that asylum seekers could be relocated to Rwanda under the migration and economic development partnership. They emphasized that this arrangement provides individuals without immigration status in the UK with the opportunity to rebuild their lives in a safe third country.
Since 2018, tens of thousands of individuals have arrived in Britain via small boats, fleeing conflict or famine and traversing Europe to reach the UK. In response, the government has spent two years navigating legal and political challenges to implement the policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, located approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) away, in hopes of deterring future arrivals.
Following the passage of contentious legislation by Parliament last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak anticipates the inaugural deportation flights to take off within the next 10 to 12 weeks. Amidst these developments, an organization assisting asylum seekers reported protests outside a south London immigration processing center to prevent forced removals.
A British government document released on Monday revealed that the first group of asylum seekers to be deported to Rwanda would be selected from a pool of 5,700 individuals whom Kigali has tentatively agreed to accept. However, logistical constraints mean that only just over 2,000 of these individuals can be easily detained.
Under the forced deportation scheme, individuals who have arrived illegally after January 1, 2022, are eligible for deportation to Rwanda. Official figures indicate that more than 50,000 individuals have arrived since that date.
