The Observer may reveal torture victims who have been officially recognized by doctors as “vulnerable and at risk” by the Ministry of the Interior who are facing deportation to Rwanda.
At least one asylum seeker who has been informed by the Interior Ministry that he may be on the first flight to the East African country, scheduled to leave on Tuesday, has been assessed as a possible victim. of torture.
Activists condemned the Interior Ministry’s “insensitivity” and said its intention to deport 4,500 miles of recognized torture victims to another continent was a new “impressive” minimum.
Documents viewed by the Observer reveal that people currently detained for immigration and assessed by specialist doctors as “torture-compatible injuries and scars” are among those who are said to be likely to be deported to Africa. .
The revelation comes when Home Secretary Priti Patel overcame a legal challenge to the policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda after a high court judge ruled that the first flight could continue this week.
Activists have confirmed that they will take the case to court on appeal on Monday. Politics has been harshly criticized for human rights reasons. Reports surfaced on Saturday that Prince Charles had privately condemned him as “creepy”.
The revelation that the victims of torture are among those whom Patel wants to deport will be seen by many as another bleak milestone in his attempts to act harshly with the asylum.
The documents, dated June 10, reveal that an asylum seeker – assessed by specialists as a probable victim of torture – was informed that his claim was likely to be rejected, which meant that he “faced instructions deportation to Rwanda ”.
They also reveal how quickly the Home Office is determined to deport newcomers with small boats across the Canal.
An individual from Sudan, who arrived in the UK in a small boat on May 14, was arrested immediately. Three days later, the Interior Ministry sent a “request for biographical information” to Rwanda, and four days later the asylum seeker was notified of a notice of intent to withdraw.
On May 28, the Rwandan authorities “accepted” the transfer, and the Ministry of the Interior stated that “the only known barrier to your transfer to Rwanda” was a legal challenge from its lawyers.
Clare Moseley of the charity Care4Calais, which supports many of the 31 people who have been told they could be on the first flight this week, said: “Listen to the stories of people who will be sent to Rwanda it is enough to cause you nightmares.
“Stories of wars, fights, torments and abuses. It is deeply shocking that the UK can subject these victims to more trauma. The cruelty of deporting torture victims is impressive. Have no doubt about the suffering this is causing: people are trying to commit suicide in detention centers. We are in very dark territory. “
Another Sudanese individual told doctors that he was beaten with sticks and a metal bar and detained for two months, and “later” was “arrested and imprisoned” as he crossed Libya, known to traffickers.
A document from the Ministry of the Interior states: “It is accepted that the [torture] The evidence provided meets level 2 adults at risk of the immigrant detention policy and, as such, is considered to be at risk according to the policy. “
Level 2 of the policy states “professional evidence of torture”. The government’s policy of adults at risk was introduced in 2016 to keep traumatized adults out of detention with the classification of “vulnerable and at risk” involving a person “who suffers from an illness or has experienced a traumatic event ( such as trafficking, torture or violence) ”.
Others are also concerned that a large number of people who want to be deported by the Interior Ministry will not even undergo a medical examination to determine if they have been tortured due to delays in conducting assessments, known as a rule. 35.
The detention law stipulates that a rule 35 report must be prepared on any person whose mental or physical health may deteriorate as a result of the detention.
Sheroy Zaq, a lawyer in the public law and immigration departments at Duncan Lewis’s law firm, said: real that people cannot get evidence of torture or suicidal ideation.
“Even if they have this evidence, the Secretary of State does not give a deadline when it will be considered.”
Zaq added that when there was evidence of torture and instructions for expulsion were given, the Interior Ministry said the evidence would be considered “before the flight takes off”.
He said, “But what if you make a negative decision half an hour before the flight takes off? What chance does this person have of accessing justice properly?”
A full judicial review, where the high court will hear a challenge to Rwanda’s policy as a whole, is due to be heard before the end of July.
An Interior Ministry spokesman said his association with Rwanda fully complied with international and national law.
They added: “We have now issued formal instructions to the first group of people to move to Rwanda later this month. No one will be removed if it is unsafe or unsuitable for them.”