According to recent information, over 18,000 asylum seekers who faced the prospect of being sent to Rwanda are now having their cases examined within the UK instead.
Between January 2021 and June 2023, approximately three-quarters of individuals who had received notice of intent letters, indicating that their asylum claims would not be processed in the UK, have been allowed into the UK asylum system.
A notice of intent letter is issued by the Home Office after declaring an asylum claim inadmissible and considering removal from the UK.
Previous data from the Home Office, covering a similar period from January 2021 to March 2023, revealed that 24,083 such notices were issued.
The latest disclosures come as Rishi Sunak hopes his Safety of Rwanda bill will clear the final hurdles of its difficult passage through parliament this week.
The Prime Minister said on Monday, April 22 that the first flight to Kigali would take off “in 10 to 12 weeks”, contradicting his longstanding position that they would start this spring.
In January 2021, regulations regarding the inadmissibility of asylum claims were put into effect. Since then, a series of legislative measures have been enacted, progressively tightening rules targeting individuals arriving through irregular means, such as dinghies crossing the Channel.
These actions are part of the government’s commitment to “stop the boats.”
However, despite these efforts, crossings have remained at elevated levels this year. Asylum seekers have reported that smugglers have reduced their prices from around £4,000 to approximately £1,000.
The Illegal Migration Act, which was passed on July 20, 2023, imposes a legal obligation on the home secretary to deport anyone arriving in the UK irregularly back to their home country or Rwanda.
However, not all provisions of the act have been implemented yet, and as of now, no individuals have been deported to Rwanda.
During a session of parliament’s cross-party public accounts committee, Conservative MP Tim Loughton raised concerns regarding the 40,000 asylum seekers who have arrived in the UK since July 2023 but are not having their claims processed locally.
The possibility of all of them being sent to Rwanda seemed improbable. However, senior Home Office officials were unable to provide a definitive response to what will happen to these individuals.
Charity CEO Criticizes UK Asylum Standstill
Steve Smith, the chief executive of the charity Care4Calais, criticized the situation, stating, “Every single one of these 18,078 asylum claims was unnecessarily put on hold by these notices of intent, which have only had the effect of keeping people’s lives in limbo.”
“This a government that has a gimmick in Rwanda, but no plan to deal with the tens of thousands of asylum claims stuck in the government-created perma-backlog.
“Holding people in the asylum system for years is bad for people’s health and wellbeing, and it pushes up the cost of what is a completely broken asylum system under this current government.”
Steve Smith
However, a government spokesperson said asylum seekers who arrived illegally after 20 July 2023 will be subject to “a duty to remove and will have their asylum claim declared inadmissible.”
“Once the safety of Rwanda bill and treaty are in place, we will get flights off the ground as soon as possible,” the government spokesperson added.
The situation regarding asylum seekers in the UK, particularly those facing potential relocation to Rwanda, remains uncertain.
Despite legislative efforts and parliamentary inquiries, clarity on the fate of thousands of individuals seeking asylum remains elusive. Advocates continue to express concern over the prolonged limbo experienced by affected individuals.
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