Rwanda Bill

The government of the United Kingdom has passed its “Rwanda Bill” — it will now become law. Under the Bill, asylum seekers deemed to have illegally entered its territories after January 1, 2022, can be sent to the African country for “processing”. Crucially, irrespective of whether an asylum seeker is found to be “genuine” or not, they cannot return to the UK and must opt for settlement in either Rwanda or another country.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government devised the legislation after furious opposition to what was earlier a “scheme” to send “illegals” to Rwanda.

In 2023, the supreme court declared the scheme unlawful, pointing out that Rwanda was not a “safe” country and the plan went against the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

In return for acting as an offshore processing centre, the impoverished African nation will receive substantial amounts of money. These run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The Bill, it has been suggested, will act as a deterrent to those who make landfall on the UK coastline in small boats (sometimes no more than inflatable rafts with an engine strapped on) crossing the English Channel from European ports. These ongoing acts of extraordinary desperation — what can the world’s wretched do but risk their already debased bodies? — continue to take a toll on passengers on matchstick carriers.