Refugees from war zones are terrified they are about to be thrown into another in Rwanda.
Last week, the Court of Appeal ruled it was too unsafe to fly asylum seekers there – but ministers plan to appeal to the Supreme Court.
And it comes despite fears violent border clashes between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo could explode into war.
Analysts say a million people have been displaced by fighting with M23 rebels, who Rwanda denies backing. And both nations accuse each other of firing rockets across the border.
A Syrian refugee living in a Nottingham hotel said: “My wife and daughter are still in Syria but I’d rather die than take them from a war zone in Syria to another in Rwanda.”
The 29-year-old, told he faces deportation to Rwanda, says he is in a state of limbo as he awaits court rulings. “It reminds me of what the Syrian regime does to prisoners,” he said. “They tell them they will execute them on a certain date and when the date comes, they don’t do it. They leave them thinking, ‘What’s going to happen next?’”
Charlotte Khan, of Care4Calais, said: “The court was clear – Rwanda is not a safe country to remove refugees to and that is the fear of refugees who have already experienced some of the worst things imaginable.”
PM Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman have staked their reputations on the plan to send small boat arrivals to Rwanda.
But an official report estimates the cost at £169,000 per migrant.
Meanwhile, a refugee from Sudan has been told he must go back there – even though there is a civil war.
Abdul, who was tortured in 2019 by paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces and fled to the UK in 2020, got a Home Office letter saying there was “not a real risk” to his safety.
He said: “I was speechless, I was in shock. It’s more dangerous now than when I was in Sudan.”
The Home Office said: “Rwanda has been recognised globally for its record in welcoming and integrating migrants and asylum seekers.
“The number risking their lives in illegal and dangerous journeys is unacceptable. That is why we are introducing legislation which will ensure those arriving illegally are detained and promptly removed to their country of origin or a safe third country. All asylum cases are considered on their individual merits and refused cases have a right of appeal.”
