The Government is set to secure a deal which would see asylum seekers who cross the Channel in small boats being flown to Rwanda for processing. Home Secretary Priti Patel is expected to sign the multimillion-pound agreement on Thursday during a visit to the East African nation.
It would mean that some people seeking sanctuary in the UK would be sent more than 4,000 miles away while their claims are assessed “offshore”. It would include those who make the crossing by means deemed “illegal” by the Government.
Under a trial scheme an initial £120 million is expected to be given to the Rwandan government. It’s been criticised by refugee charities as a “cruel and nasty decision” that will fail to address the issue and “lead to more human suffering and chaos”.
