Britain and Rwanda have continued to defend their very contentious migration pact in the face of a barrage of criticism.
The two governments announced on Thursday an agreement to send certain persons arriving in the United Kingdom as stowaways on trucks or small boats to the East African country to have their asylum requests reviewed.
Priti Patel, the British Home Secretary, and Vincent Biruta, Rwanda’s Foreign Minister, have penned a joint piece for the British daily The Times supporting their case.
They stated in the statement that this “groundbreaking alliance will establish a new worldwide norm” by providing legal, secure, orderly, and controlled pathways for individuals to improve their lives, avoid injustice, persecution, or conflict, and take advantage of new possibilities.
On Saturday, UNHCR senior legal officer Larry Bottinick stated from London that he believed there were “more compassionate approaches” to address the matter.
He stated that he seen a similar technique fail while he worked in Israel.
“They were sending Eritreans to Rwanda on a voluntary basis, Sudanese to Uganda, and, as you know, many left Rwanda after a week.”
“As a result, it does not stop smuggling; rather, it encourages it.”
“Individuals fled to South Sudan, Sudan to Libya, and those who remained returned to Europe. Thus, it was more dangerous and time-consuming for people smugglers than the Channel ever would be.”
Archbishop Justin Welby, in his Easter Sunday sermon, also criticized the pact, stating that it raises “severe ethical concerns about transferring asylum seekers away.”
He stated that “outsourcing our responsibility to refugees – even to a country that aspires to do well, like as Rwanda – cannot withstand God’s scrutiny.”
