Rwanda ‘not safe enough’ for asylum deal and Priti Patel must reconsider, parliamentary committee says

Priti Patel must reconsider a deal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda because it is not safe enough and may break the law, a parliamentary committee has said. Joanna Cherry QC, chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, said: “While we have received mixed reports on the safety of Rwanda, particularly for vulnerable groups, and the adequacy of its asylum system, we are not satisfied that it is a sufficiently safe destination to be a partner in this kind of asylum agreement.” The letter, sent on 21 July, pointed to government documents disclosed as part of the ongoing High Court battle over the deal. “The Joint Committee on Human Rights hopes that the Government will demonstrate commitment to human rights and the protection of refugees and reconsider the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership.” Ms Cherry wrote that correspondence with the government suggested it was ministers’ intention that “once the individuals have been sent to Rwanda they are no longer the UK’s responsibility”. Tory leadership candidate Liz Truss 'completely agrees' with Rwanda deportation policy “We are similarly concerned that the MEDP could be seen as an outsourcing of the UK’s own obligations.” The letter said the committee was “unconvinced” that the plans would deter refugees from crossing the English Channel on small boats, and noted that the government had not increased safe and legal alternatives. “Despite the significance of the decision to take an individual out of the UK asylum system and send them to a country thousands of miles away, appeal rights are limited, with costly judicial review proceedings the only effective mechanism for legal challenge … we are concerned that the lack of an effective appeal process enhances the risk that people will be removed to Rwanda without a fair hearing and in breach of their rights.” Rwandan government officials have hit back at criticism and defended the country’s human rights record.