Asylum and Rwanda

Plans to send Asylum Seekers to Rwanda

PCS condemns government plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. We will be seeking views on challenging this policy and looking at how we can support members.

Last week PCS issued a statement condemning the government over plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

PCS believes that it is unconscionable that this government is prepared to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

It is an inhuman way to treat desperate people who have risked their lives to cross the Channel, to then be sending them thousands of miles to Africa.

We need a humane immigration policy and safe routes for asylum seekers to come to the UK and be properly processed.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said ‘’For the government to attempt to claim this is anything other than utterly inhumane is sheer hypocrisy. We have already seen that they are prepared to risk lives by turning boats back in the channel – a policy which PCS have had to take them to court over. It is a heartless approach that displays total disregard for human life which everyone must oppose.’’

It is PCS members in the Home Office that will once again be expected to deliver this new policy.

Many PCS members have been praised for their flexibility and hard work in switching work at short notice to help deliver the Visa schemes for Ukraine refugees. The public (including a government MP) have been praised for taking in Ukrainian refugees into their own homes.

PCS members and the public at large are likely to be confused and concerned by the hypocrisy on show by this government in treating other vulnerable refugees so differently based seemingly only on their Nationality.

The Prime Minister has said Rwanda is one of the safest countries on Earth, despite the concerns the Government officially raised about Rwanda last year.

No assurances have been given to our members or the public that these concerns about detention, torture and killings have been resolved.

The Home Secretary has repeated her line about our nations ‘proud history’ of offering sanctuary to those fleeing conflict. It appears the Home Secretary is confining this to history with these proposals and abdicating that responsibility to 5000 miles away in Rwanda.

With the lack of transparency and press freedom the government can give no assurances about how refugees will be treated by Rwanda.

Meanwhile the concerns about the expense and effectiveness of the measures have been well documented.

Members are rightly concerned about both the danger and the numbers of small boat crossings due to a lack of a safe route to seek asylum. But the Home Secretary is unable to explain how this new measure is an effective legal solution.

Even if some crossings are deterred, the effect would be limited to those likely to be processed in Rwanda. Others more likely to end up in the UK, presumably vulnerable women and children, would be expected to continue to make the same trip.

PCS members want to see more resource put into finding and prosecuting the organisers of human trafficking operations. But the case for offshoring migrants abroad has not been made on the grounds of preventing illegal immigration or deterring crossings.

Like with the ‘push back’ in the Channel PCS have real concerns for members being expected to enact this latest policy. There’s still little detail around what, who and how but PCS want to start the conversation with members to get your feedback. We want to hear any concerns you may have, see how we can support members and listen to ideas of what you want us to do collectively to challenge this, if necessary.

Over the next week of so we’ll be discussing ideas with your branch officers and will come out to members with more details of how you can get involved and have your say.

James Cox (Group President), Phil Mount (Assistant Group Secretary & UKVI lead), Mike Jones (Group Secretary)