Mark Drakeford has said it is "a dark day" for the UK as the first migrants are set to be sent to Rwanda.
Home Secretary Patel's migrant policy will see those who arrive in Britain illegally face deportation 4,000 miles away to Rwanda, following a deal being struck in April. The policy has been widely criticised by opposition parties, human rights groups, the Archbishop of Canterbury and even reportedly the Prince of Wales.
Now Wales' First Minister has added his voice to the debate. In a tweet Mr Drakeford said: "Today is a dark day for the UK. This policy is a new low for the UK Government – and a cruel and inhumane response to those seeking safety and sanctuary in our country. It is in stark contrast to Wales’ position as a nation of sanctuary."
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On Monday, June 13 by the Court of Appeal rejected the bid by the Public and Commercial Services Union and the charities Care4Calais and Detention Action to stop the flight though some asylum seekers are having their appeals heard in the High Court.
The Migration Policy Institute reported that the amount that the deal "damages the DNA of the post-World War II protection system can hardly be overstated" and that "not only does it derogate from, and openly question, the principle of territorial asylum" and "also advances the idea that states can pay to cast off the responsibilities they signed up to under the 1951 Geneva Convention".
The UK government will pay Rwanda an initial £120 million for economic development and growth, and will pick up operational costs of the program, along with accommodation and integration expenses.
MPI added: "The arrangement threatens to intensify the reshaping of the global protection regime from a system driven by a shared moral commitment to a transactional one where countries that are willing to host (even more) refugees lever it to strike deals on trade, economic cooperation, or development, as exemplified by the larger partnership that Rwanda reached with the United Kingdom. And for the refugees themselves, it further makes them pawns, removing any sense of control and agency over their destiny and pushing them more into the hands of smugglers and traffickers."
The Times reported the Prince of Wales is understood to be particularly frustrated at Boris Johnson’s asylum policy as he is getting set to represent his mum the Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, later this month.
A source reportedly heard Charles, 73, expressing his frustration at the policy, telling the newspaper: "He said he was more than disappointed at the policy.
"He said he thinks the government’s whole approach is appalling. It was clear he was not impressed with the government’s direction of travel."
