UK and Rwanda set to start first migrant deportation flights in spring

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Rwandan President Paul Kagame have announced that the first flights under Britain’s controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, will depart in the spring, according to a meeting summary released on Tuesday.

Sunak wishes to move thousands of asylum seekers who arrive in Britain on small boats each year to Rwanda, but legal objections have so far stopped anyone from being sent to the African country.

In a meeting held in London between Sunak and Kagame, the UK Prime Minister’s office said: “Both leaders looked forward to flights departing to Rwanda in the spring.”

Mr Sunak hopes the government will secure the needed legislation to pave the way for the British authorities to send asylum seekers who arrived in the country without proper clearance to the east African country.

Recall that the British government earlier unveiled a plan to offer asylum seekers payments of up to 3,000 pounds ($3,836) each to relocate to Rwanda voluntarily.

This initiative aims to alleviate the backlog of refugees whose applications to stay in the UK have been denied.

Britain is currently grappling with tens of thousands of asylum seekers who have been denied refuge but cannot be deported due to legal constraints barring returns to conflict zones or countries with significant human rights abuses.

The government’s intention to transfer thousands of asylum seekers to Rwanda was deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court last year, arguing that it would violate both British and international human rights legislation.