UK begins arresting migrants set to be sent to Rwanda
In preparation for the transfer of asylum seekers to Rwanda, British officials have started to detain migrants who would be moved to the East African country in the next nine to eleven weeks, the government announced on Wednesday.
The move lays the foundation for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s signature immigration policy, which has become controversial.
Last month, Parliament passed legislation that allows asylum seekers who arrived in the UK without permission to be deported to Rwanda.
Sunak, who is set to hold an election later this year in which illegal migration will undoubtedly be a major issue, wants the first flights to take off in July.
Interior Minister James Cleverly said in a statement on Wednesday that the enforcement teams are working at pace to swiftly detain those who have no right to be in the UK so that the government can get flights off the ground.
With the government expressing optimism about the plan, more unions and human rights charities have opposed the policy.
They’re expected to launch legal challenges to stop the flights from taking off after the UK Supreme Court declared the policy unlawful last year.
Recall that the Sun Newspaper reported that Britain has sent its first asylum seeker to Rwanda under a separate voluntary programme for the deportation policy.
