Unless canceled at the last minute, the British government is preparing to deport this Tuesday to Rwanda the first migrants who arrived illegally in the United Kingdom.
By sending migrants who have arrived illegally in the United Kingdom to this East African country, London intends to deter illegal crossings of the Channel.
This extremely controversial project is considered "immoral" by the Anglican Church and many associations.
The latter do not intend to give up and intend to pursue their challenge in court.
20 Minutes
takes stock of this measure which must be the subject of a detailed examination of its legality in July.
Despite criticism from human rights defenders, the UN, the Anglican Church and even the British royal family, Boris Johnson's conservative government is determined: the first deportations to Rwanda of migrants who arrived illegally in the UK Uni should take place this Tuesday evening.
This project aims, according to the British government, to discourage illegal crossings of the Channel, which continue to increase despite its repeated promises since Brexit.
20 Minutes
takes stock of this extremely controversial measure as the first flight risks taking off almost empty.
What's happening in the UK today?
Unless canceled at the last minute, the British government is preparing to deport the first migrants who arrived illegally in the United Kingdom to Rwanda on Tuesday.
A specially chartered flight with illegal immigrants on board is to take off from London in the evening and land the next morning in Kigali.
But following various individual appeals, the first flight risks taking off almost empty, with only seven migrants on board.
According to the Care4Calais association, 24 of the 31 people initially planned had their ticket to Rwanda cancelled.
Among those initially due to leave were Iranians, Iraqis, Albanians and a Syrian.
New appeals are scheduled for today, Tuesday.
Why did London introduce this measure and how does it work?
Illegal Channel crossings are the bane of the Conservative British government and regularly cause tensions with France, from where many migrants wish to reach England leave.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 10,000 migrants have illegally crossed the English Channel to reach British shores on small boats.
An increase compared to previous years, already record.
By sending migrants who arrived illegally in the United Kingdom to Rwanda, more than 6,000 km from London, the Johnson government therefore intends to deter illegal crossings of the Channel.
"Criminal groups that put people's lives in danger in the Channel must understand that their economic model will collapse under this government", justified Boris Johnson on LBC radio.
“While we know that attempts will be made to thwart the process and delay evictions, I will not be deterred and will remain fully committed to implementing what the British public expects,” said the minister. British Interior Minister Priti Patel, as soon as this highly controversial plan was announced in mid-April.
Recently, she also hailed a "new step" towards implementing the partnership with Rwanda as part of the government's strategy to reform the "broken asylum system and break the evil business model of smugglers".
Under its agreement with Kigali, London will initially finance the system to the tune of 120 million pounds (140 million euros).
For its part, the Rwandan government has specified that it will offer migrants the possibility of “setting up permanently”.
Is this project legal?
This controversial project has been validated by the British justice.
The latter rejected at first instance, then on appeal, last-minute appeals made by associations, in particular Care4Calais and Detention Action, to try to stop the departures.
The High Court in London also rejected on Monday another appeal brought by the refugee aid association Asylum Aid.
The associations do not intend to give up and intend to pursue their challenge in court, with a detailed examination of the legality of the measure scheduled for July before the High Court.
"This immoral policy brings shame to the United Kingdom," said in a letter published Tuesday by the newspaper
The Times
, the spiritual leaders of the Anglican Church and 23 bishops.
Critics dismissed by Minister Liz Truss: “Our policy is completely legal.
It's totally moral.
Rwanda is a safe country and the immoral people in this case are the traffickers.
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The UN is also against the measure, and the human rights organization HRW believes that London "seeks to shift its responsibilities for asylum entirely to another country", going against the Convention. from Geneva.
The civil service union PCS, which has among its members customs officers who are supposed to implement the deportations, has also challenged the plan in court.
According to the
Times
, Prince Charles himself would have privately judged the project "appalling", when he must participate in a Commonwealth meeting from June 20 in Rwanda.
In Kigali, the prince and Boris Johnson are due to meet President Paul Kagame, who has ruled Rwanda since the end of the 1994 genocide, which claimed 800,000 lives according to the UN.
His government is regularly accused by NGOs of repressing freedom of expression, criticism and political opposition.
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