British Home Secretary James Cleverly is set to sign a new treaty on asylum agreements during his visit to Rwanda today, Tuesday. Cleverly’s visit to Kigali comes as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak seeks to legally solidify plans to send migrants to the African nation. This effort follows a ruling by the UK Supreme Court against this policy, as reported by the British news agency.
Furthermore, local legislation is also planned to be enacted, enabling the Parliament to affirm Rwanda as a safe destination for asylum seekers arriving in Britain. The Home Office stated, “Cleverly will meet with his counterpart Vincent Biruta to sign the treaty and discuss the next key steps regarding the so-called migration and economic development partnership. He will also visit the Genocide Memorial in Kigali and staff at the British High Commission during his first foreign visit as Home Secretary.”
Before arriving in Kigali, Cleverly remarked, “We are clear that Rwanda is a safe country, and we are working rapidly to move forward with this partnership, to stop the boats and save lives.”
It is expected that British lawyers will be sent to Rwandan courts as part of a new agreement aimed at implementing the government’s eventual plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda, as reported by “PA Media,” a British news agency. Ministers hope that the updated agreement, along with domestic emergency legislation, will address the issues that led the UK’s highest court to rule that the Rwanda scheme was illegal.
The UK had signed an agreement with Rwanda during former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s tenure in April last year, to send unregistered migrants to temporary centers in the African nation. Several British political leaders and charities criticized the government’s plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda, describing it as “harsh” and warning of human rights violations.
The UK’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, known as the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership, was initially announced by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April 2022. This plan has faced significant legal challenges. The UK Supreme Court ruled that the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful, dealing a considerable blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government.
The Supreme Court drew attention to Rwanda’s poor human rights record, including threats to Rwandans living in the UK, alongside extrajudicial killings, deaths in custody, and enforced disappearances, which have raised concerns about the safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers that might be sent to Rwanda under this plan.
