UK to Deport 5700 Migrants to Rwanda

The British government announced on Tuesday plans to potentially deport a specific group of asylum seekers to Rwanda, totaling 5700 individuals, by the end of the year.

This comes after the approval of a controversial law aimed at preventing irregular crossings of the English Channel.

Under the legislation, adopted by Parliament last Tuesday and granted royal assent on Friday, Rishi Sunak's conservative government aims to commence deportations by July.

According to a document released by the Home Office on Monday, Kigali has agreed "in principle" to receive 5700 asylum seekers.

These individuals were selected from among 57,000 people who arrived illegally in the United Kingdom via the English Channel between January and June 2023, according to a census conducted by AFP based on official figures.

Health Minister Victoria Atkins, speaking on behalf of the government to Sky News on Tuesday, stated that they intend to deport this group by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the Home Office document revealed that among the targeted 5700 asylum seekers, 2143 individuals remain in contact with the Home Office and may be selected later for detention in preparation for deportation.

The Health Ministry confirmed that the government is working to locate the others. It emphasized that they will be found and deported.

In recent days, Ireland has announced facing an influx of migrants from the United Kingdom, blaming its neighbor's immigration policy.

In this context, the new law, based on a treaty 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 able to return to the United Kingdom.

The law stipulates that Rwanda is a safe country, and the British government will be able to override any legal orders issued by the European Court of Human Rights aimed at preventing deportation operations.