"Much to the delight of asylum seekers, refugees, and those who work within this sector, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has scrapped the Rwanda scheme, citing, “It was dead and buried before it even started.” At that time, two migrants remained in custody and were marked to be sent to Rwanda, but they have since been released on bail.
While this is a victory for asylum seekers, as this cruel scheme struck many with fear and deep concern for their futures, there is still much work to be done. We are still left with many questions about what this Labour government will do going forward to tackle the worsening situation we find ourselves in with our asylum claim system. We need to keep fighting for the UK to provide safe routes and a streamlined, fair process for asylum claims. The Rwanda scheme was put in place as a deterrent to stop asylum seekers from crossing the English Channel, and there has been a big emphasis on ending these crossings. But it’s clear that the fix for this isn't deterrents but the provision of safe routes where claims can be processed in good time.
It will also be interesting to see what happens with the £220 million we have already sent to Rwanda as part of our treaty. There appears to be a lot of mixed messaging coming from the Rwandan government regarding the UK being reimbursed. Rwanda’s deputy spokesman has stated that "there are no reimbursement clauses in our agreement", alluding to the possibility that Rwanda may not want to return any of the money sent. However, Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, has stated, “If they don’t come, we can return the money.” During the scheme's short-lived lifespan, the UK was unable to send any asylum seekers to Rwanda, so now we can only wait to see what happens with the millions we sent."
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