Johnson's plan for refugees in the UK: Rwanda to become the "dreamland"

Johnson's plan for refugees in the UK: Rwanda to become the "dreamland"
April 17, 2022, 12:23 pm

Zara Saleh1

Boris Johnson's government plan for people who cross the Channel and illegally enter the UK and seek refugee will be "granted" one-way ticket to Rwanda's land, even despite the human rights issues in the country. Added to that, Rwanda authorities have the right to only accept people who have no criminal record with unlimited number of refugees who will be relocated to Rwanda.

A new deal has been signed recently in Rwanda's capital Kigali between the Home Office Priti Patel and the Rwandan government during her last visit. The agreement will take place this year and include other asylum seekers' cases from 2021 as well for adults who are crossing the English Channel and entering the UK by boats, train, and plane. The scheme plan for those who will be relocated to Rwanda and, then, seeking refugees there will not be expected to return back to the UK. Furthermore, once those people are leaving the UK territories, their cases as asylum seekers will be the Rwandan government's responsibility without any right to return to the UK. Of course, in Rwanda, those people can apply for refugee status in Rwanda. During their stay or "resettlement" in Rwanda, while claiming asylum seekers there will be offered accommodation in hostels and refugees will be under the Rwandan immigration rules. In other words, their fate will be in the hand of the Rwandan government regarding the immigration law. For instance, people who seeking refugees there could be deported if the Rwandan authorities found a criminal record, and eventually, they can be sent to the country of origin.

At a glance at the agreement that has been signed by the Home Office with the Rwandan authorities, the Johnsons scheme program will cost Britain around £120 million as an integration fund and support to implement the plan and would “save countless lives” as the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. Moreover, in 2021, more than 28,000 people have crossed the English Channel and the figure per daily crossing the Channel could reach around one thousand this year, according to UK officials. However, the Prime Minister's plan has been criticised by refugee organisations in the Uk, human rights organisations regarding the deal with the Rwandan government, and the concerns about Rwanda's human rights issues as well. Johson's plan was under critics from the UK opposition as well, as the Labour leader Keir Starmer criticised Tory's plan as "unworkable and extortionate". Whereas, some other politicians described Johnson's scheme as "evil and inhumane" and also it has been criticised even by some conservative’s leaders.

Consequently, such a plan to send people to Rwanda, could not be the right plan and decision to solve the ongoing refugee crisis and the government should search to address the roots of the refugee problems instead of sending those people to the poorest developing countries such as Rwanda who already are suffering human right issues and discrimination.