Church of England leaders have said the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is an “embarrassing immoral policy in Britain”, with the first flight coming out today.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, as well as 23 other bishops, have written a letter to The Times stating that no attempt has been made to “understand the situation” of those affected.
Following the failure of two legal challenges, a plane is scheduled to leave for the Rwandan capital Kigali later, but it is unclear how many asylum seekers will be on board.
His letter reads: “Whether or not the first deportation flight leaves Britain today for Rwanda, this policy should embarrass us as a nation.
“Shame is ours, because our Christian heritage must inspire us to treat asylum seekers with compassion, fairness and justice, as we have done for centuries.”
Religious leaders have called for the fight against “perverse trafficking” by providing safe routes for refugees trying to reach the UK, adding: “Deportations and the potential forced return of asylum seekers to their homes countries of origin are not the way. “
It comes days after the Prince of Wales described Conservative politics as “horrible”, and after Imam Qari Asim, the chief imam of Leeds’ Mecca Mosque, said he was “challenging our conscience”. human rights and forces us to defend human dignity. ” “.
Read more: What is it like to be a refugee in Rwanda? The asylum seeker says he would rather die than be sent to Rwanda. Why are migrants sent to Rwanda and how will it work?
The Archbishop of Wales and the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster have also criticized politics, as well as charities, human rights groups and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Three more legal appeals are expected to be tried in the Superior Court on Tuesday. These are carried by people who are facing withdrawal on the first flight.
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0:41 Judges reject offer to stop migrant flight to Rwanda
The government has said it aims to deter people from crossing the Canal dangerously from France with small fragile vessels run by smugglers.
A government spokesman said: “We welcome the court’s decision in our favor, and we will now continue to move forward with our world-leading migration partnership that will help prevent loss of life and break the business model of the ill-trafficked people.
“Rwanda is a safe country and has previously been recognized for providing a safe haven for refugees; we will not be deterred from delivering on our plans to fix the broken asylum system that will ultimately save lives.”
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3:09 Inside Rwanda’s migrant hostel
Last year, more than 28,000 people crossed the Canal in small boats, more than triple the number seen in 2020.
More than half were Iranians or Iraqis, with people from Eritrea and Syria also crossing, according to the Interior Ministry.