The UK Parliament on Tuesday approved the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, a controversial piece of legislation that designates Rwanda as a “safe country” for certain asylum seekers awaiting application assessments. This bill effectively allows for the deportation of irregular migrants under the UK-Rwanda international treaty on asylum partnership.
Interestingly, the advancement of this legislation comes despite its apparent conflict with a ruling from the UK Supreme Court. The court ruled in November 2023 that Rwanda could not be deemed a safe country due to the risk of returning asylum seekers to dangerous situations. This was in line with the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of asylum seekers to a territory where they face substantial threats. Ignoring the court’s decision, the passage of this bill allows for the continuation of the initial deportation plans.
In defense of the decision, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated in a recent press release: “We need innovative solutions to address what is a global migration crisis…to disrupt the business model of people smuggling gangs and save lives.” The objective behind the bill, as put forth by the Prime Minister, is to discourage irregular migration and reduce incidents related to English channel crossings.
The passage of this legislation has ignited worldwide concerns, with figures such as Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights, calling for UK to reassess its course of action. These UN representatives have dubbed this bill as undermining human rights and refugee protection, also suggesting that it obstructs the rule of law by overlooking individual migrant circumstances.
The Safety of Rwanda Bill is expected to receive royal assent in the coming days, with a select group of migrants already lined up for the initial flights to Rwanda.