EXPLAINER: RWANDA…punishment is Kalapani – why is Britain sending illegal immigrants to Rwanda, why not India?
The problem of illegal immigrants in the UK is quite old, if we look at the last four years alone, from 2020 till now approximately 1 lakh 20 thousand illegal immigrants have entered the UK. Sunak’s government has brought a new bill to reduce the burden of these immigrants.
Britain’s PM Sunak
The UK government has passed the Rwanda Bill, it will become law in a few days. After this Safety of Rwanda Bill becomes law, every immigrant who enters the United Kingdom illegally will be deported to Rwanda. For this, an agreement has been signed between the UK government and the African country Rwanda.
The government of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had prepared the Safety of Rwanda Bill after opposition to the Rwanda Bill. Earlier, former PM Boris Johnson had first introduced the Rwanda Bill in the Parliament, which was opposed and the UK Supreme Court had even declared it illegal. It was believed that this plan was against the European Convention ECHR. Now after the passing of the Safety Bill of Rwanda, it will be decided that anyone who enters the UK wrongly will not be able to stay.
Why is the Rwanda bill controversial?
Under the Safety Bill of Rwanda, the UK government will shift thousands of illegal immigrants to Rwanda. This will include all those immigrants who have entered the UK illegally or are trying to enter. They will be caught and sent to Rwanda. It is believed that the number of such illegal immigrants is in lakhs, but for the first time, approximately 52 thousand illegal immigrants will be sent to Rwanda.
Why are Indians sending immigrants to Rwanda?
It is believed that out of the 52 thousand immigrants that the UK will send to Rwanda, there are 5 thousand Indian illegal immigrants living there, and all of them will be shifted to Rwanda. Most of these Indians are those who crossed the English Channel and reached the UK in 2023, risking their lives. Their number alone is said to be more than 1 thousand. However, after being sent to Rwanda, these immigrants will be able to apply to become refugees in the UK. If his application is accepted then he will be called back to the UK. If this does not happen then the immigrants will be allowed to go back to their country of origin or stay in Rwanda.
What is the purpose of this bill?
The problem of illegal immigrants in the UK is quite old, if we look at the last four years alone, from 2020 till now approximately 1 lakh 20 thousand illegal immigrants have entered the UK. The Sunak government believes that the Rwanda Bill will reduce the burden of immigrants in the UK. The most important thing is that for this agreement the UK will assist approximately 290 million pounds to Rwanda. However, human rights and refugee organizations consider it an inhumane and expensive process. Apart from this, Britain also wants to improve its asylum system, so that immigrants can save themselves from falling into the trap of smugglers.
Where do so many refugees come from in the UK?
Immigrants from all over the world reach the UK, often traveling secretly in trucks or boats. If we talk about 2021, more than 28 thousand people reached the UK by boat. Since then this number is continuously increasing. Most of these immigrants travel through the English Channel. Last year, a boat going to Britain also capsized, in which 27 people died.
