The Home Office is set to launch a UK-wide operation on Monday to detain asylum seekers in preparation for their removal to Rwanda, sparking controversy and backlash from campaigners and opposition parties.
The plan, confirmed by a government official, comes after Rishi Sunak secured parliamentary approval for his Rwanda legislation last week. The move is part of the government’s efforts to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats.
The operation, set to last two weeks, will involve holding asylum seekers at immigration service offices and selecting individuals for removal across the UK. Those identified for removal will be transferred to detention centers before being flown to Rwanda.
Critics, including Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council, have condemned the plan as inhumane and warned of potential chaos and human misery. Labour has pointed to record numbers of asylum seekers arriving in the UK by small boats as evidence that Sunak’s policy is failing.
However, Sunak defended the plan, citing an increase in asylum seekers heading to Ireland as proof that the Rwanda policy is working as a deterrent. Irish officials have expressed reluctance to accept asylum seekers being returned from the UK.
The issue is expected to be discussed at a British-Irish conference in London, where emergency legislation in Ireland to enable asylum seekers to be returned to Britain will be on the agenda. The controversy comes as the Conservatives face potential losses in local elections, with public sentiment turning against the government.
As the situation unfolds, tensions are high and the future of the government’s asylum policy remains uncertain.