UK sends 1st failed asylum seeker to Rwanda under voluntary scheme

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The UK on Tuesday dispatched its first failed asylum seeker to Rwanda under a pioneering voluntary scheme, according to British media.

The initiative marks a departure from traditional deportation methods, offering rejected asylum seekers an alternative route to relocation.

The scheme targets individuals who have exhausted the asylum process in the UK, having their claims denied.

Notably, it is distinct from addressing migrants who enter Britain illegally through channels such as small boats crossing the English Channel.

The individual, described as of African origin, had pursued asylum in the UK but faced rejection towards the end of last year.

Opting for the Rwanda relocation offer, they embarked on a commercial flight from the UK earlier this week.

Unlike actions taken under the Safety of Rwanda Act, which outlines specific procedures for involuntary deportation, this relocation occurred through a parallel scheme.

Under this arrangement, individuals have the choice to avail themselves of the opportunity should their asylum endeavors in the UK prove unsuccessful.

The Rwanda plan had been one of the most controversial plans of the government's migration policy as it sparked international criticism and mass protests across the UK.

In January last year, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said tackling small boat crossings by irregular migrants across the English Channel was among five priorities of his government as more than 45,000 migrants arrived in the UK that way in 2022.