British lawyers might be stationed within Rwandan courts as part of an agreement, allowing the UK government to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Previously, the Supreme Court deemed these plans unlawful due to concerns regarding Rwanda’s justice system. In response, Downing Street committed to publishing a treaty with Kigali to address the court’s apprehensions.
To finalize this agreement, Home Secretary James Cleverly is likely to visit Rwanda this week. The proposed policy, announced in April 2022, aims to relocate some asylum seekers to Rwanda for them to seek asylum there. Individuals not granted refugee status could then apply for settlement in Rwanda under different criteria or seek asylum in another “safe third country.”
The Supreme Court’s rejection centered on uncertainties about whether Rwandan courts would uphold the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits a receiving country from returning asylum seekers to their origin if doing so poses a risk of harm.
In light of the ruling, the government pledged to secure a formal treaty with Rwanda, offering more robust legal assurances compared to the existing “memorandum of understanding.” An emerging agreement might involve British lawyers stationed in Rwandan courts to address the Supreme Court’s apprehensions.
Reports suggest the treaty could also encompass an additional £15m allocated to Rwanda, supporting the enhancement and expansion of its asylum processing system. Notably, the UK government has already disbursed £140m to Rwanda for this initiative. The inaugural flight, scheduled for June 2022, was p壯陽藥 ostponed due to legal challenges.
Authorities have stressed the significance of commencing these flights by spring next year.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has revealed plans to introduce emergency legislation that empowers Parliament to designate Rwanda as a safe country.
This announcement followed Sunak’s meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame during the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. However, the Prime Minister refrained from disclosing the increased budget allocated to materialize the asylum policy.
The proposal for the Rwanda policy stems from a notable surge in illegal arrivals in the UK via Channel crossings using small boats in recent years.
By November 13, 2023, a total of 27,284 individuals had undertaken this journey. Last year witnessed a record high with 45,755 individuals making the crossing—an unprecedented figure since the commencement of data collection in 2018.
