Zita Gloria INEZA TETA, Grade 12
UWCEA Moshi Campus
According to IOM, more than a thousand people died in 2021 trying to cross the ocean on their way to Europe (Africanews, 2021). This is not an uncommon situation as, every year, people try to make it to Europe for a better lifestyle, employment and other opportunities that these countries have to offer.
One of the pressing reasons for Brexit was allowing the UK to have more control over immigration especially after the European migration crisis in 2015 in which more than one million people seeked asylum in the European Union member countries. With the Russia-Ukraine situation, the numbers of asylum seekers are predicted to increase. While the process of receiving these refugees is expensive, these people also put their lives at risk while crossing the British channel in small boats (which are prone to drowning). On the 14th of april 2022, the government of UK announced the Rwanda asylum plan for the first time (BBC news, 2022). This was signed by both countries on the 15th of April under the economic government partnership. The 5 year policy entails a deal of 120 million british pounds for economic transformation and integration plan. This plan consists of building schools, hospitals and other facilities to accommodate and ease the transition of the asylum seekers to Rwanda.
As of today, this plan was highly criticized by the British as well as several international organizations, claiming that it is a violation of human rights. In fact, many people have emphasized the fact that this policy violates the 1951 UN refugee convention, of which the UK is a signatory. The convention states that “no one shall expel or return a refugee against his or her will, in any manner whatsoever to a territory where he or she frears threats to life or freedom.” (United Nations Human Rights Office of the High commissioner, n.d.). The UNHCR assistant commissioner for protection also found this policy prone to failure claiming that “the last time it was tried with eritreans and sudanese, they left the country and started the same process all over again”.
Several other critics concerning Rwanda’s economic status and the fact that more than half of its 13 million citizens live under the poverty line, keep advocates for refugees and asylum seekers worried. It is not a surprise that the first flight that was supposed to take asylum seekers to Rwanda was canceled on June 15th thanks to the European court of human rights(cite). Several members of the UN raised also raised concerns of the policy being another form of human trafficking, an argument emphasized by Siobhán Mullally, a UN special rapporteur on trafficking in persons. It seems that the UN is worried that “the international law principle of non-refoulement will be breached by forcibly transferring asylum seekers to Rwanda” (Geai, 2022)
Despite all these critics, Rwanda seems to be the only option present for anyone who illegally entered the UK starting from January 2022 . Especially because Rwanda is known for having received refugees and asylum seekers totaling to more than 130,000 people from various countries such as Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan and other neighboring countries.
Most of the people against this policy seem to base on Rwanda’s past, claiming that it has had a Genocide and as a consequence, it would not be insecure for these people.Others say that it is a small country and that this situation could make history repeat itself, resulting into millions of displaced Rwandans. What these people fail to take into account is that, even though Rwanda seems to have no space for more, it is refusing to let history repeat itself letting down people in need. We don’t have space, but we decide to make space for these people who seem to have nowhere else to go. In my opinion, this is not about “third world countries”, it is instead a problem of closed mindsets. Rwanda might not be the first choice for these people, but this policy is also going to protect lives of several other people, like them, who try to dangerously cross the ocean in small boats for countries that might even not want them on their territory.
References
Africanews. (2021, July 14). Number of migrants who died trying to reach Europe by sea more than doubles- IOM. Africanews. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.africanews.com/2021/07/14/number-of-migrants-trying-to-reach-europe-by-sea-more-than-doubles-iom//
BBC news. (2022, July 18). Why are asylum seekers being sent to Rwanda and how many could go? BBC. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-61782866
Geai, L. (2022, June 17). UN expert urges UK to halt transfer of asylum seekers to Rwanda. UN News. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/06/1120722
United Nations Human Rights Office of the High commissioner. (n.d.). Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. OHCHR. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-relating-status-refugees
Image Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda_asylum_plan
One of the pressing reasons for Brexit was allowing the UK to have more control over immigration especially after the European migration crisis in 2015 in which more than one million people seeked asylum in the European Union member countries. With the Russia-Ukraine situation, the numbers of asylum seekers are predicted to increase. While the process of receiving these refugees is expensive, these people also put their lives at risk while crossing the British channel in small boats (which are prone to drowning). On the 14th of april 2022, the government of UK announced the Rwanda asylum plan for the first time (BBC news, 2022). This was signed by both countries on the 15th of April under the economic government partnership. The 5 year policy entails a deal of 120 million british pounds for economic transformation and integration plan. This plan consists of building schools, hospitals and other facilities to accommodate and ease the transition of the asylum seekers to Rwanda.
As of today, this plan was highly criticized by the British as well as several international organizations, claiming that it is a violation of human rights. In fact, many people have emphasized the fact that this policy violates the 1951 UN refugee convention, of which the UK is a signatory. The convention states that “no one shall expel or return a refugee against his or her will, in any manner whatsoever to a territory where he or she frears threats to life or freedom.” (United Nations Human Rights Office of the High commissioner, n.d.). The UNHCR assistant commissioner for protection also found this policy prone to failure claiming that “the last time it was tried with eritreans and sudanese, they left the country and started the same process all over again”.
Several other critics concerning Rwanda’s economic status and the fact that more than half of its 13 million citizens live under the poverty line, keep advocates for refugees and asylum seekers worried. It is not a surprise that the first flight that was supposed to take asylum seekers to Rwanda was canceled on June 15th thanks to the European court of human rights(cite). Several members of the UN raised also raised concerns of the policy being another form of human trafficking, an argument emphasized by Siobhán Mullally, a UN special rapporteur on trafficking in persons. It seems that the UN is worried that “the international law principle of non-refoulement will be breached by forcibly transferring asylum seekers to Rwanda” (Geai, 2022)
Despite all these critics, Rwanda seems to be the only option present for anyone who illegally entered the UK starting from January 2022 . Especially because Rwanda is known for having received refugees and asylum seekers totaling to more than 130,000 people from various countries such as Afghanistan, Libya, Sudan and other neighboring countries.
Most of the people against this policy seem to base on Rwanda’s past, claiming that it has had a Genocide and as a consequence, it would not be insecure for these people.Others say that it is a small country and that this situation could make history repeat itself, resulting into millions of displaced Rwandans. What these people fail to take into account is that, even though Rwanda seems to have no space for more, it is refusing to let history repeat itself letting down people in need. We don’t have space, but we decide to make space for these people who seem to have nowhere else to go. In my opinion, this is not about “third world countries”, it is instead a problem of closed mindsets. Rwanda might not be the first choice for these people, but this policy is also going to protect lives of several other people, like them, who try to dangerously cross the ocean in small boats for countries that might even not want them on their territory.
References
Africanews. (2021, July 14). Number of migrants who died trying to reach Europe by sea more than doubles- IOM. Africanews. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.africanews.com/2021/07/14/number-of-migrants-trying-to-reach-europe-by-sea-more-than-doubles-iom//
BBC news. (2022, July 18). Why are asylum seekers being sent to Rwanda and how many could go? BBC. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-61782866
Geai, L. (2022, June 17). UN expert urges UK to halt transfer of asylum seekers to Rwanda. UN News. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/06/1120722
United Nations Human Rights Office of the High commissioner. (n.d.). Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. OHCHR. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-relating-status-refugees
Image Courtesy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda_asylum_plan
www.unitedworldwide.co