The UK government has defended its plan to send illegal immigrants to the African country of Rwanda after it was criticised by a senior church leader.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on April 14 that people who enter the UK illegally, including those who cross the English Channel in small boats, may end up being relocated to the African country of Rwanda.
On April 17, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, criticised the plan in his Easter sermon. He described the plan as an act of “sub-contracting out our responsibilities,” which he said is “the opposite of the nature of God.”
In response, a Home Office spokesperson said: “The UK has a proud history of supporting those in need of protection, and our resettlement programmes have provided safe and legal routes to better futures for hundreds of thousands of people across the globe.
“However, the world is facing a global migration crisis on an unprecedented scale, and change is needed to prevent vile people smugglers putting people’s lives at risk and to fix the broken global asylum system.
“Rwanda is a fundamentally safe and secure country with a track record of supporting asylum seekers. Under this agreement, they will process claims in accordance with the U.N. Refugee Convention, national and international human rights laws.”
After signing the agreement with the Rwandan government on April 14, Home Secretary Priti Patel said the model was “world-class and a world first,” and will be used as a “blueprint” for other countries.
She said she expects other countries to follow the UK’s example, especially Denmark, which she said has been speaking to Rwanda for two years.
The policy has enjoyed some support from Conservative MPs, but has faced a fierce backlash from opposition parties and charities. Both the prime minister and the home secretary have acknowledged it could be challenged in the courts.
The Home Office’s most senior civil servant has also expressed concerns about the scheme, according to an exchange of letters published by the government on April 16.
Matthew Rycroft, permanent secretary at the Home Office, wrote to Patel on April 13, warning that though it was “regular, proper and feasible for this policy to proceed,” he did not think “sufficient evidence can be obtained to demonstrate that the policy will have a deterrent effect significant enough to make the policy value for money.”
But issuing a rare ministerial direction compelling the plans to go ahead despite the concern, Patel said that “without action, costs will continue to rise, lives will continue to be lost.”
She said it would be “imprudent” to delay delivery of a policy that will “reduce illegal migration, save lives, and ultimately break the business model of the smuggling gangs.”
