Thank you for contacting me about processing asylum claims in Rwanda.
Let me reassure you that the UK has a proud history of supporting those in need of protection; our resettlement programmes have provided safe and legal routes to better futures for hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe. Since 2015, over 185,000 men, women and children seeking refuge have been offered a place in this country, which is more than any other similar resettlement scheme in Europe. This includes almost 100,000 British Nationals Overseas threatened by draconian security laws in Hong Kong, 20,000 through the Syrian scheme, 13,000 from Afghanistan, and around 50,000 Ukrainians.
Despite this good work to accommodate genuine asylum seekers and refugees, in recent years we have unfortunately seen a rapid rise in illegal migration into the UK. Much of this is driven by economic and cultural pull factors, not least our widely spoken language and our relatively generous benefits system. The great majority of this movement is made possible by ruthless criminal gangs who exploit migrants and organise dangerous Channel crossings. Sadly, a considerable number of lives have been lost, and I fear more will be unless we can deter these crossings and break the business model of the gangs.
It is important to remember that migrants entering Britain via illegal Channel crossings are doing so from safe European countries in which they are in no danger and can already claim asylum. Those seeking to claim asylum should do so in the first safe country they reach rather than travelling through multiple safe countries in order to reach Britain. The UK’s asylum system for its part must be fair and based on genuine need, not on the ability to pay people smugglers.
There are existing safe and official routes for economic migrants via the Government’s new points-based immigration system. I do acknowledge that this new system is not yet perfect and requires improvement so that we can fully access the skills that workers from around the world have to offer, and I am continuing to lobby ministers to address shortages in key sectors. Ultimately, we also need an international discussions with European nations in particular about the best approach to rising global migration and how best we can collectively help those in the greatest need.
We need to find better ways to support more refugees quickly to find safety and economic security, most urgently for those fleeing from active warzones. I have been lobbying ministers for several weeks to eliminate bureaucratic barriers given the emergency caused by the war in Ukraine. At the same time, in order to reduce Britain’s attractiveness for economic migrants seeking to ‘jump the queue’ and bypass our safe official routes, there is a need to deter illegal and dangerous crossings. That is why the Government has reached an agreement with Rwanda under which people who enter the UK illegally, including by small boat across the Channel, may have their asylum claim considered in Rwanda rather than in the UK, with a view to receiving the protection they need in Rwanda if their claim is granted.
Rwanda is a fundamentally safe and secure country with respect for the rule of law. Under this agreement, Rwanda will process claims in accordance with the UN Refugee Convention, national and international human rights laws, and will ensure the protection of migrants from inhuman and degrading treatment or being returned to the place they originally fled.
The agreement the Government has reached with Rwanda enables us to offer opportunities for safety and a new life there. Rwanda has a credible track record of hosting refugees and working constructively with the UN Refugee Agency to provide food, healthcare and jobs with over 130,000 refugees recently resettled. It is also important to note the EU already resettles people in Rwanda, as does the UN, and I understand that Denmark is currently seeking its own similar agreement with Rwanda for asylum-seeker resettlement.
Since 2019 Rwanda has been working with the UN Refugee Agency and the African Union to support over 500 refugees and asylum seekers evacuated from Libya, under the Emergency Transit Mechanism. They are housed at a dedicated centre providing mental health services, legal assistance, employment training and opportunities. Rwanda has also supported around 30,000 Burundian refugees who have also transited to the centre since 2015.
The UK is investing £120 million into the economic development and growth of Rwanda, with funding also provided to support the delivery of asylum operations, accommodation and integration, similar to the costs incurred in the UK for these services. Furthermore, it is the case that Rwanda has one of the fastest-growing economies and enterprise cultures, with growing trade links with the UK, which this scheme will complement as part of the Government’s Global Britain agenda.
Ultimately we need to do what is right by refugees to ensure their safety and to deter people smugglers providing unsafe illegal options, both to economic migrants who chose not to apply through legal route and refugees who deserve better. While part of the answer is the Rwanda option, it needs to go hand in hand with an improved legal migration system which is faster and efficient and a better system to manage refugees wishing to come direct from countries in crisis.
This is the beginning not the end of the story - much more needs to be done and I will be lobbying for more change to properly address the ongoing issues which remain unresolved- helping refugees in their own countries find safe passage to safety together with the international community and improved systems for legal migration to enable us to welcome the many skilled people from other countries we need and who want to come and contribute to Britain.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
