The British government wants to relocate refugees who enter the country illegally to Rwanda. Despite severe criticism, Johnson is now sticking to his plan - the "final administrative step" is being carried out. The first people are informed about their deportation and a departure date is set.
The first controversial deportation flights with refugees from Great Britain to Rwanda are scheduled to start on June 14th. The Home Office in London said it had sent the notices to the first migrants who had entered the country illegally. It is the "final administrative step" to put an agreement with Rwanda into effect.
The agreement provides that people who have arrived illegally in Great Britain can be flown to the East African country and apply for asylum there. The conservative government wants to deter refugees and implement a Brexit promise. Recently, the number of people who cross the English Channel in boats that are hardly seaworthy has increased significantly. Home Secretary Priti Patel in particular was therefore under a lot of pressure.
Human rights activists accuse Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government of violating the right to asylum in the deal with Rwanda. "Our world-leading partnership with Rwanda is a key part of our strategy to overhaul the broken asylum system and disrupt the business model of evil people smugglers," Patel said. Although there will be attempts to delay the processes and deportations, she will not be deterred by this, emphasized the hardliner, whose family had once arrived in Great Britain as refugees themselves.
Johnson appears ready to push through the measure at any cost. As the conservative politician told the "Daily Mail" in an interview, he is preparing for a legal trench warfare with opponents of his new asylum policy. If in doubt, he will change laws to prevent "left-leaning lawyers" from torpedoing the program. Withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights is also an option, according to Johnson.
