Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Lebanese Ministry of Health: One person was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the town of Burj Qalawieh, south Lebanon.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The first ship of the Maghreb fleet delivering aid to break the siege on Gaza departs from the port of Gammarth in Tunisia.
Channel 12: Airspace closed at Ramon Airport due to fears of drone infiltration
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded over an aircraft infiltration in the Bir Ora area, and details are being examined
Drone infiltration sirens sound north of the Gulf of Aqaba
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out five extremely violent raids on the western areas of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: The Israeli occupation carried out major bombings in the Gaza Strip, the most violent since October 7
Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree: The missile force carried out a major operation using the Palestine 2 ballistic hypersonic missile, hitting several targets in occupied Yafa.
Sirens sound in large areas of occupied Palestine after a missile launch from Yemen was detected
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 14 martyrs arrive at al-Shifa Hospital following Israeli massacre of al-Sultan Family north of Gaza.

Half of asylum seekers facing removal from UK to Rwanda are married

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 25 Jan 2023 16:07
4 Min Read

Priti Patel's assertions that persons crossing the Channel are "not genuine" asylum seekers are refuted by a survey.

  • x
  • People are brought into Dover harbour onboard a Border Force vessel after crossing the Channel. (Reuters)
    People are brought into Dover harbor onboard a UK Border Force vessel after crossing the Channel. (Reuters)

Nearly half of asylum seekers facing deportation to Rwanda are married, with one fifth having children, according to a new survey.

The findings were released on Wednesday by the campaign coalition Together With Refugees, a coalition of over 500 national and local refugee organizations, while the analysis was carried out by the charity Care4Calais.

The survey found that the majority of asylum seekers facing deportation to Rwanda come from countries where more than 80% of people have had their refugee status recognized by the UK. 

The new study refutes claims made by former home secretary Priti Patel, who introduced the program to stop people from attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats, claiming that they were "not genuine asylum seekers" and "elbowing out the women and children, who are at risk and fleeing persecution."

Read next: UK: 30,000 in asylum limbo for more than six years

In a pool of 213 people, 72% of those who were threatened with being deported to Rwanda by the Home Office came from Western-torn Arab countries. At least 82% of applicants from these nations are accepted in the UK.

Between August 2022 and January 17, 2023, the Home Office sent notices of intent to every participant in the survey. Anyone who gets such a notification could end up being transported to Rwanda.

When she was home secretary, Patel said: “In the last 12 months alone, 70% of the individuals who have come to our country illegally via small boats are single men, who are effectively economic migrants. They are not genuine asylum seekers … These are the ones who are elbowing out the women and children, who are at risk and fleeing persecution.”

Related News

Rukban Syrian displacement camp near Jordan border shut down

Germany defies court ruling, to continue rejecting asylum seekers

But among those in the new analysis, 13 are female. 20% of the sample as a whole are parents, and 42% are either married or engaged. Two-thirds have claimed to have experienced torture or modern-day slavery.

When the scheme was first piloted, the Home Office said it would be aimed at single men.

Is Rwanda the solution? 

A recent YouGov poll indicated that only 10% of those questioned agreed that sending individuals to Rwanda was the best method to address the issue of small boat arrivals. Despite the high court agreeing that this ruling can be appealed, it did rule the plan legal in December of last year.

On a red open-top London bus, protesters will go to the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday to voice their opposition to the plan. Banners aboard the bus urge the authorities to "scrap the cruel Rwanda plan."

Read next: UK judges rule Rwanda deportation plan is lawful

Spokesperson for Together With Refugees and chief executive of Safe Passage, Beth Gardiner-Smith, said: “This scheme is not just morally wrong; it’s expensive and unworkable. If our government were serious about tackling smuggling and saving lives at sea, they would scrap this plan and urgently expand safe routes for refugees.”

Moreover, Clare Moseley, founder of Care4Calais, said “This brutal policy will not end small boat crossings, it won’t stop people smugglers and it won’t keep refugees safe. There is a kinder and more effective option: give safe passage to refugees in Calais.”

A Home Office spokesperson said that everyone in scope for relocation to Rwanda will be "individually assessed," without relocating any of them to a proper place.

“If an individual’s circumstances change after receipt of a notice of intent, this should be communicated to us at the earliest opportunity and their case will be reviewed.”

  • Refugees
  • UK's Rwanda asylum
  • Rwanda asylum
  • asylum seekers
  • UK
  • United Kingdom
  • Rwanda
  • Immigration Policies

Most Read

The damaged building in the Katara neighborhood, Doha, Qatar, September 9, 2025 (Social media)

Hamas delegation survives Israeli assassination attempt in Qatar

  • Politics
  • 9 Sep 2025
Israeli police and rescue teams respond at the scene of a shooting attack where several people killed and injured in Jerusalem, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025 (AP)

Al-Quds shooting: 7 settlers killed, several critically injured

  • Politics
  • 8 Sep 2025
Pro-"Israel" conservative Charlie Kirk shot during Utah speech

Pro-'Israel' far-right Charlie Kirk shot dead during Utah speech

  • US & Canada
  • 11 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
People protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, on Friday, September 27, 2024 (AP)
Politics

'Israel' stops unfunded diplomacy ahead of UN, October 7 memorial

An Israeli Air Force fighter jet releases flares over the Gaza Strip, is seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 8, 2025 (AP)
Politics

OIC summit draft: Israeli attack on Qatar risks normalization

People shout slogans and hold Palestinian flags while protesting during the twenty-first stage of La Vuelta cycling race from Alalpardo to Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. (AP)
Sports

Pro-Palestine protests force abrupt end to Vuelta a España finale

Damage is seen after an Israeli strike targeted a compound that hosted Hamas' political leadership in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli regime faces growing isolation over Qatar strike: Reports

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS