UK to raid asylum seekers, illegal immigrants soon for Rwanda deportation

The UK government plans to begin detaining illegal immigrants across the country in preparation for their deportation to Rwanda. This operation against asylum seekers will begin weeks earlier than expected, according to The Guardian.

Officials plan to detain refugees who attend routine meetings at immigration service offices or bail appointments.

They will also conduct surprise nationwide pickups during a two-week-long exercise.

“The government is determined to recklessly pursue its inhumane Rwanda plan despite the cost, chaos and human misery it will unleash. We know it is likely to cause a catastrophic system meltdown,” said Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council.

Detainees will quickly be moved to detention centres until they are put on planes to Rwanda.

The Home Office highlighted that the Prime Minister’s Safety of Rwanda Act being approved marks the last step in putting this policy into action to tackle illegal migration.

“The government is entering the final phase of operationalising this landmark policy to tackle illegal migration and stop the boats. At some stage inevitably this will include detaining people in preparation for the first flight, which is set to take off to Rwanda in 10 to 12 weeks. It would be inappropriate to comment further on operational activity,” said the UK’s Home office, reported the Guardian.

During an interview on Sunday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak mentioned Rwanda and illegal migration 13 times, reported The Guardian.

Sunak emphasised his focus on “stopping the boats” and reiterated his commitments on the economy.

Speaking on Sky News’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Sunak expressed his determination to implement the Rwanda operation.

INCREASED DETENTION SPACES

The latest official data revealed that the number of people arriving by small boats in the first four months of 2024 was the highest ever for that period, totalling 7,167 people compared to 5,745 for the same period last year, according to the Guardian.

The previous record for those four months was 6,691.

Sunak, speaking on Monday before the Lords and Commons sat through the night to pass the safety of Rwanda (asylum and immigration) bill, stated: “To detain people while we prepare to remove them, we’ve increased detention spaces to 2,200.”

HIGH ALERT IN SCOTLAND

Police in Scotland are on alert due to the high risk of street protests and attempts by pro-refugee campaigners to halt detentions.

Officers won’t be involved in the detentions but will handle crowd control and public order.

Local communities in Scotland have twice halted deportations by organising large protests, on Kenmure Street in Glasgow in May 2021, and in Nicolson Square, Edinburgh, in June 2022.

On both occasions, hundreds of people surrounded immigration enforcement vehicles to prevent asylum seekers from being taken away.

“Police Scotland and the Scottish government had to be certain they believed this was lawful,” said Aamer Anwar, a Glasgow-based human rights lawyer.

Opposition leaders criticised the move, with Labour MP Kim Johnson calling it “amoral” and Liberal Democrat spokesperson Alistair Carmichael labelling it a “cruel political gimmick”.

The announcement of the operation comes ahead of the local council elections in England, where the Conservative Party could face losses, reported the Guardian.

The move has raised concerns about potential legal battles, community protests, and clashes with law enforcement.

In Scotland, police are on high alert due to the risk of protests.