UK offered migrants who have been refused asylum thousands of pounds to move to Rwanda under a new “voluntary” scheme.
This move comes as the UK government faces ongoing parliamentary battles over its stalled deportation plan.
The proposals, which have been agreed with Kigali separately from the plan to process asylum claims in Rwanda, aim to assist migrants who lack legal grounds to stay in the UK but cannot be returned to their home countries.
This initiative was first reported by The Times newspaper.
The program will target individuals without pending asylum claims who can be promptly relocated to Rwanda, deemed by the UK government as a safe third country.
This initiative is an expansion of the current Home Office voluntary returns program, where migrants are provided financial aid of up to £3,000 (EUR3,520) to return to their country of origin.
A Home Office spokesperson emphasized the significance of voluntary removals, citing that 19,000 individuals were voluntarily removed from the UK in the past year, playing a crucial role in addressing illegal migration.
“This is in addition to our Safety of Rwanda Bill and Treaty which, when passed, will ensure people who come to the UK illegally are removed to Rwanda.”
The UK government anticipates a swift implementation of the voluntary scheme, leveraging existing structures established by the agreement with Rwanda and current voluntary return processes.
This development coincides with Rishi Sunak’s efforts to revive legislation aimed at resuming the deportation of certain asylum seekers to Kigali. As the legislation returns to the Commons, the government aims to overturn several amendments previously agreed upon by the Lords.
The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, which faced 10 defeats in the unelected chamber, passed its unopposed third reading, albeit with critics denouncing it as “stinker” legislation.
Among the changes endorsed by the Lords is the reversal of the government’s attempt to exclude the courts from the process, effectively puncturing a hole in the Bill.
Originally intended to prevent ongoing legal challenges to the stalled deportation scheme following the Supreme Court’s ruling of its unlawfulness, the proposed legislation aims to compel judges to deem Rwanda as safe, facilitating the deportation of asylum seekers who arrived via small boats in the Channel to Rwanda.
However, the amendment accepted by peers reinstates the jurisdiction of domestic courts concerning Rwanda’s safety and grants them the authority to intervene.
Other alterations supported by peers include measures to mitigate the risk of sending unaccompanied children to Rwanda, prohibit the deportation of victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, and safeguard individuals who collaborated with the UK military or government abroad.
Also, the Lords passed amendments aimed at ensuring the legislation upholds the rule of law and prohibits Parliament from declaring Rwanda as safe until the treaty with its promised safeguards is fully implemented.
Green Party peer Jenny Jones criticised the Bill as a “stinker,” while Labour frontbencher Vernon Coaker urged careful consideration of the proposed changes to the “difficult and controversial” legislation.
Home Office minister Andrew Sharpe emphasised the urgency of action, stating that inaction would result in further tragic loss of lives at sea and increased financial burden on British taxpayers.
This sets the stage for an extended standoff between the Commons and Lords during the “ping-pong” process, where legislation is bounced between the two Houses until consensus is reached.
The British prime minister had previously cautioned the Lords against obstructing “the will of the people” by impeding the Bill’s progress, which has already been endorsed by MPs. The Commons is scheduled to debate and vote on the amendments on March 18.
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