The UK government’s controversial policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda faces renewed opposition from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). In a London High Court case, UNHCR lawyers argued that Rwanda’s asylum system remains inadequate, putting asylum seekers at risk of being forcibly returned to countries where they could face persecution or torture – a practice known as refoulement.
This argument echoes the reasoning behind the UK Supreme Court’s decision last year, which declared the policy unlawful due to the refoulement risk. However, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded by signing a new agreement with Rwanda and pushing through new legislation that designates Rwanda as a safe country for asylum seekers.
UNHCR lawyer Laura Dubinsky presented evidence of ongoing refoulement concerns in Rwanda, including cases documented as recently as this year. She revealed that UNHCR officials informed British authorities of “at least seven refoulement cases” in 2023 during a meeting in Kigali on December 7th, 2023 – the very day Sunak introduced the Rwanda legislation in parliament.
The UK government counters by arguing that the new legislation removes the need for a court to determine Rwanda’s overall safety for asylum seekers before deportations can take place. The Rwandan government has yet to comment on the case.
The UK government previously announced plans for the first deportation flight to Rwanda on July 24th, but this hinges on the Conservative Party winning the upcoming national election on July 4th.
