The British government announced on Tuesday its intention to potentially deport a specific group of asylum seekers to Rwanda, comprising 5700 individuals, by the end of the year.
This follows the approval of a controversial law aimed at preventing irregular crossings of the English Channel.
Under this legislation, endorsed by Parliament last Tuesday and granted royal approval on Friday, Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government plans to commence the deportation of these irregular migrants by July.
According to a document released by the Home Office on Monday, Kigali has provisionally agreed to receive 5700 asylum seekers.
These individuals were selected from among 57,000 who arrived illegally in the UK via the English Channel between January and June 2023, according to a census conducted by AFP based on official figures.
Speaking on behalf of the government, Health Minister Victoria Atkins told Sky News on Tuesday her country intends to deport this group by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Home Office stated in its document that among the targeted 5700 asylum seekers, 2143 individuals continue to be in contact with the ministry and may be selected later for detention in preparation for their deportation.
Additionally, the Ministry of Health confirmed that the government is working to locate the remaining individuals.
In recent days, Ireland has announced facing an influx of migrants from the United Kingdom, attributing the situation to the immigration policy pursued by its neighbor.
The new law, based on an agreement between Kigali and London, aims to deport migrants who have arrived irregularly from Britain to Rwanda, where their asylum requests will be assessed.
Regardless of the outcome, they will not be allowed to return to the United Kingdom.
The law stipulates that Rwanda is a safe country, and the British government will have the authority to bypass legal orders that may be issued by the European Court of Human Rights, which aim to prevent deportation operations.
