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
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: One was killed, another injured in a raid by an Israeli drone on the city of Khiam in South Lebanon
London views possibility of setting fire to tanker in port of friendly country to Russia to damage port infrastructure, initiate an international probe: Moscow
One of London's scenarios involves setting up accident with 'undesirable' tanker in one of the bottlenecks of maritime communications: Russian foreign intelligence agency
London plans to organize major sabotage with tankers to declare transportation of Russian oil to international shipping: Russian foreign intelligence agency
UK intelligence agencies plan to use NATO allies to launch massive raid on 'Shadow Fleet': Russian foreign intelligence agency
Palestinian Ministry of Health: Two were martyred in Israeli shelling that targeted a besieged house in the town of Qabatiya in Jenin
At least 68 dead in migrant shipwreck off Yemen: IOM
Trump: We want to feed the people in Gaza, we do not want them to starve.
US President Donald Trump: We will impose sanctions on Russia if it does not end the war on Ukraine.
Israeli media: Polls show that 52% oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while only 29% support him.

UK standing imperiled if Rwanda deportation scheme is applied

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Guardian
  • 26 Mar 2023 22:39
4 Min Read

There is fear that other conservative European governments would follow Britain’s lead and consider African states to deport asylum seekers.

  • x
  • Protestors demonstrate outside the Home Office against the British Governments plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, in London, Britain, June 13, 2022. (Reuters)
    Protesters demonstrate outside the Home Office against the British government's plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, in London, Britain, June 13, 2022. (Reuters)

The new head of Human Rights Watch, Tirana Hassan, said the UK's plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda would "completely erode" Britain's standing on the world stage.

Tirana Hassan also said that other conservative European governments were also considering African states to dump asylum seekers, which furthermore harms refugee protection.

“Everyone should care about this. This isn’t just about what’s happening in the UK,” Hassan told The Guardian.

Rwanda approved the UK's deportation scheme almost a year ago but legal challenges have arisen ever since, including interventions from the European Court of Human Rights.

Read more: UK uses Rwanda deportation card as threat against asylum seekers

Home Secretary of the European Court of Human Rights Suella Braverman visited Kigali earlier this month and found accommodation blocks being built for deported asylum seekers from Britain, which created extra controversy.

'Stop the boats'

A new restrictive bill under the slogan "stop the boats" was proposed by the government, which aims to cut down refugee crossing.

“It’s cheap politics, divisive, and completely contrary to human rights,” Hassan said. “I think that this current government in the UK is essentially scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

Related News

Files reveal Blair resisted Israeli pressures to ban Palestine charity

UK PM faces cabinet pressure to support Palestinian statehood

“This is just going to completely erode any sort of international standing that the UK has when it comes to human rights on the international stage. They don’t have a leg to stand on in terms of their credibility anymore,” Hassan said.

A significant setback for human rights worldwide would take place if the government deports asylum seekers to Rwanda this summer, said Hassan.

Read more: Army bases, disused ferries possible fate of asylum seekers in UK

“What’s going to happen if the UK gets away with the Rwanda deal and that goes forward, is that other countries will follow,” she said. “We’ve already heard whispers of this – people who are going to conservative governments like Hungary, like Poland, like Italy, saying this is a model that can’t be replicated … It’s a very slippery slope.”

“It’s always coined as the rise of autocracy against democracy,” she said. “But it doesn’t always have to be about the rise of autocracy. It can actually just be a couple of pages out of the autocrat’s handbook that gets passed around.”

The model of intercepting refugee boats and deporting asylum seekers to offshore camps was pioneered by Australia, and the country’s former Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has advised UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on immigration policy.

Hassan pointed out that Australia was not really expected to stand up on human rights issues as its "domestic record was so poor."

Hassan's predecessor Kenneth Roth made news in January after he was refused a Harvard fellowship due to his past criticisms of "Israel's" human rights record. 

The incumbent HRW head insisted that the incident would not influence HRW in any way and in its approach to monitoring human rights in Palestine and "Israel".

“We consistently report on the abuses that come up. We don’t take sides,” she claimed. “Our job is to establish an independent narrative, to assess it against international law, and make recommendations to governments to do something about it. We do that on Israel-Palestine the same way we do any other country in the world.”

Read next: Discrimination against foreigners trying to flee Ukraine: HRW

  • UK Prime Minister
  • Britain
  • asylum seekers
  • UK
  • United Kingdom
  • Rwanda
  • Immigration Policies
  • immigrants

Most Read

A rescued crew member from the ETERNITY C vessel in a video released by the Yemeni Armed Forces on July 28, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen Navy reveals fate of targeted Eternity C ship crew

  • Politics
  • 28 Jul 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

Al-Qassam strikes Israeli vehicles in Gaza, inflicts casualties

  • Politics
  • 30 Jul 2025
UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

  • Politics
  • 1 Aug 2025
Protesters chant anti-Israeli slogans as they carry a banner that reads:" Freedom for Palestine, Alliance stop the war," during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Israeli embassy, in Athens, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)

Athens mayor slams Israeli ambassador over Gaza war, graffiti claim

  • Politics
  • 3 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, takes part in a parade as he celebrates a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, January 19, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam: We’ll allow aid to Israeli captives if Gaza siege ends

Freed Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Abdallah during an interview on Al Mayadeen, which aired on Sunday, August 3, 2025 (Al Mayadeen screengrab)
Politics

Exclusive: Resistance key to building state, Georges Abdallah says

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres gives a statement about the situation in Gaza at UN headquarters, Friday, June 27, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UN warns Gaza faces water crisis, looming famine under Israeli siege

Israeli soldiers drive their armored personnel carrier along the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ex-Israeli general says Gaza starvation campaign isolated 'Israel'

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