In order to crack down on smuggling routes across the English Channel, the UK may deport to Rwanda those who entered the country illegally, failed UK security checks or made unnecessary secondary movements from countries deemed safe. Currently, there are two safe and legal routes in the UK for Ukrainian refugees to enter the country — the Ukraine family scheme and the Homes for Ukraine program.
Russian media are disseminating stories that British authorities, which are “the main beneficiary of Ukraine’s long and destructive confrontation with Russia”, intend to deport all Ukrainian refugees to the eastern African state of Rwanda.
“This possibility arose due to the new asylum policy, which allows refugees to be deported to former British colonies, such as Rwanda,” the propagandists write.
Information circulating online about Ukrainian refugees in the UK being sent to Rwanda is a manipulation.
In mid-April, the UK and Rwanda introduced a pilot ‘inadmissibility’ scheme, under which the UK can send asylum seekers who arrive illegally to Rwanda. The aim of these measures is to crack down on smuggling routes across the English Channel and prevent asylum seekers from trying to enter the country using small boats, which is both illegal and dangerous.
Home Secretary Priti Patel is confident that the plan will help break the smuggling business model and prevent the deaths of people trying to enter the country illegally. “The world-leading migration partnership with Rwanda means those making dangerous, unnecessary and illegal journeys to the UK may be relocated to Rwanda to have their claims for asylum considered and to rebuild their lives there – helping break the people smugglers’ business model and prevent loss of life,” the official stated.
In this regard, on May 11, the UK Home Office published an updated Guidance for processing asylum applications according to the inadmissibility principles. According to this document, the UK can deport to Rwanda people who have entered the country illegally seeking asylum, have failed a UK security check or made unnecessary secondary movements from countries considered safe. Such people may be granted asylum or refugee status in Rwanda.
It should be noted that some human rights activists are convinced that this scheme contradicts international law and the UN Convention on Refugees, and violates the UK Data Protection Act.
The UK Internal Affairs Ministry reported that according to this guidance, Ukrainian refugees who arrive in the UK through Ireland without a permit may be subject to the principle of inadmissibility. Given that Ireland has abolished the visa requirements for Ukrainians and has an agreement on open borders with Great Britain, Ukrainian refugees can theoretically get from Ireland to Northern Ireland (the territory of the UK) without being checked by the British security service. This violates the border crossing rules for asylum seekers.
Regarding the discussion in the press about whether Ukrainian refugees fall under the norms of the updated Guidance, the minister for justice and tackling illegal migration Tom Pursglove stated that “there is absolutely no reason why any Ukrainian should be getting into a small boat and paying a people smuggler to get into the UK”. The minister noted that there are currently two safe and legal routes for Ukrainian refugees to enter the country. These are the Ukraine family scheme (for Ukrainian refugees whose families have already settled in the UK) and the Homes for Ukraine program (allowing British citizens and organizations to offer homes for Ukrainians fleeing the war).
In his comment to the British publication LBC, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson also confirmed that Ukrainian refugees will not be deported to Rwanda. He emphasized that both schemes for Ukrainian refugees, which are in force today, are “incredibly generous” and have no limit on the number Ukrainians that can be granted asylum in the UK.
StopFake has debunked other Russian fakes about Ukrainian refugees, such as Ukrainian refugees in Italy allegedly assaulting Russian poet Joseph Brodsky’s granddaughter.
