The UK will welcome vulnerable Rwandan refugees as part of a scheme that will see some asylum seekers sent to the African nation.
The Prime Minister has defended his plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda on a one-way ticket after reported criticism from the Prince of Wales. Boris Johnson said the move is necessary to stop illegal people-smuggling rackets on either side of the Channel, despite intense criticism from human rights groups and concerns raised by the Archbishop of Canterbury over the plan.
Rwandan high commissioner Johnston Busingye told The Telegraph that his country will be a "safe haven" for migrants, after The Times and the Daily Mail reported that the Prince of Wales allegedly said in private that the policy is "appalling".
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Home Secretary Priti Patel has said the "vast majority" of those who arrive in the UK through means deemed "illegal" - such as on unauthorised boats or stowed away in lorries - will be considered for relocation. It is understood that adults will be prioritised for relocation under the scheme, with officials insisting families arriving in the UK will not be split up.
Government documents reveal that a number of Rwandan refugees will be welcomed to the UK as part of the scheme. Part of an agreement between the two nations reads: "The Participants will make arrangements for the United Kingdom to resettle a portion of Rwanda’s most vulnerable refugees in the United Kingdom, recognising both Participants’ commitment towards providing better international protection for refugees."
No further details have been provided at this stage.
The asylum plan faces two new challenges in the courts today (Monday) as a High Court ruling that the first first flight to the east African country can go ahead on Tuesday is appealed. The appeal has been brought by the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), which represents more than 80% of Border Force staff, along with the Care4Calais and Detention Action charities.
A second case is due to be heard in the High Court on Monday after Asylum Aid, a refugee charity, applied for an urgent interim injunction to stop the Government flying migrants to Rwanda. Mr Justice Swift, who ruled on the first case on Friday, is also set to hear the second case.
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