Tensions between the Home Office and Foreign Office are said to be “strained” before the largest international gathering in years on the refugee crisis, with the UK’s contribution overshadowed by the row over Rwanda.
Headed by development minister Andrew Mitchell, the UK delegation at this week’s UN Global Refugee Forum will unveil what it describes as an “ambitious package” that includes delivering schooling to hundreds of thousands of refugee children.
Yet the UK’s humanitarian reputation risks being undermined by Rishi Sunak’s determination to send refugees to Rwanda, a plan at odds with international law.
On Saturday, humanitarian experts said they were aware of tensions within the UK as Sunak’s government attempts to appease voters and the right wing of the Tory party while simultaneously offering support for the growing global refugee crisis.
However, senior UN official Arafat Jamal, coordinator of the forum, indicated that, away from the infighting, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office had put together positive measures that sharply contrasted with the Rwanda plan.
“From my perspective, I’m seeing a very interesting level of engagement by the UK on the international scene. Despite what might be going on back home, you see a real willingness to engage on a few specific areas, in particular education. The UK is, in fact, leading on what we’re calling a mega-pledge on education,” added Jamal.
Writing for the Observer, Filippo Grandi, head of the UN’s refugee agency, criticised western states for being more focused on talking tough about asylum than offering solutions at a time when a record 114 million people are displaced.
“Rather than efforts to address the root causes of displacement, we hear tough talk – mainly from wealthy and well-resourced states – about turning outsiders away, making it harder to seek the right to asylum and offloading responsibility on to others,” Grandi wrote.
A Whitehall source said the furore over Rwanda was far from “helpful” so close to the forum, which begins on Wednesday in Geneva.
“The UK is trying to do its bit on the world stage but the noise over Rwanda is not exactly a good look when you’re delivering on the global humanitarian stage.”
The UK’s package includes £4m to help host countries integrate refugee children into their education systems, an amount officials believe will make a genuine difference but one they acknowledge contrasts with fears that the full cost of the Rwanda deal might be 100 times larger, at £400m.
The UK is also to announce new support for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, with almost 1 million living in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar – part of a package of pledges government sources believe might be “more than we’ve ever done before”.
Mitchell told the Observer that focusing on education was a UK priority, with more than half of all refugee children out of school.
“It marks another step in our mission to ensure all forcibly displaced children have access to 12 years of safe, quality education, especially the most marginalised girls and those with disabilities,” said Mitchell.
He added: “We know that education transforms lives and that, in sending refugee children to school, we will be able to open the door for further learning, better jobs and safer futures while also supporting whole communities to come together and thrive.”
Jamal said the message to wealthier western nations was that they could help stabilise the refugee crisis.
“Being anti-refugee is not a solution, it’s just an emotional reaction. There are solutions that are not threatening to them. Work with us, look at the long term and focus on root causes.”
