Rabat – The British government vowed on Wednesday to organize more deportation flights to Rwanda, after the first flight was grounded following a last-minute court order.
The UK is planning to send migrants and asylum seekers looking to stay in the UK to Rwanda under a deal signed by the two countries. If successful, the migrants will stay in Rwanda.
In exchange, Britain paid Rwanda around $144 million (MAD 1.4 billion) in investments and development projects.
Supporters of the plan say it’s a way to protect the migrants’ lives and disincentivize human trafficking networks that send them on perilous journeys across the English channel.
Human rights organizations and activists however called the plan inhumane and a waste of money. Critics, among whom is Prince Charles, point to Rwanda’s record of human rights, calling it unsuitable to hold people fleeing persecution.
They also say the plan from Boris Johnson’s government aims to discourage immigrants and asylum seekers from entering Britain in the first place, rather than thwarting trafficking networks.
Critics have also raised questions over why Britain seems so keen on sending away Syrian and Iranian refugees, while those fleeing Ukraine are still welcomed into the country.
Read also: ‘Good Refugees, Bad Refugees,’ the War on Ukraine and Western Media Racism
The first flight, which was supposed to depart Longon on Tuesday, was halted at the last minute following a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that Britain was forced to accept because of its membership to the Council of Europe.
Despite the ruling, Home Secretary Priti Patel said they “will not be deterred from doing the right thing,” citing her surprise at the European courts’ intervention when the government had successes with the domestic courts.
In 2016, Boris Johnson led the Brexit campaign, with one of the biggest talking points being Britain “taking back its borders” from the EU. The continued arrival of asylum seekers seems to have therefore presented a problem for him with his base.
