Well, this is one for the books.
The UK is paying Rwanda, a country the UK itself has criticised for its lack of human rights, 250 million pounds and a further 150.000 pounds per refugee, to accept asylum seekers who “illegally” enter Britain.
It will cost the British tax payer 63.000 pounds per refugee more than keeping the refugee in Britain.
It’s obviously a scheme that’s going to be short-lived, but do you think it’s acceptable?
Is it morally okay to send asylum seekers to third countries to be processed and live (they can’t return to Britain)?
And if so, is changing the law to make said third-party country “a safe country” in anyway acceptable?
https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-61782866
In November 2023, the UK Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Rwanda scheme was unlawful.
It said genuine refugees would be at risk of being returned to their home countries, where they could face harm.
This breaches the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which prohibits torture and inhuman treatment. The UK is a signatory to the ECHR.
After the Supreme Court ruled that the scheme was unlawful, the government introduced a bill to make clear in UK law that Rwanda is a safe country.
The legislation - which was finally approved on 22 April after intense political wrangling - orders the courts to ignore key sections of the Human Rights Act.
It also compels the courts to disregard other British laws or international rules - such as the international Refugee Convention - which would block deportations to Rwanda.
The UK government also signed a new migration treaty with Rwanda, which Home Secretary James Cleverly said guarantees that anyone sent there would not risk being returned to their home country.