HOME Secretary Suella Braverman insisted that Rwanda is a “safe” country to send refugees after being shown evidence of an incident where asylum seekers were shot at by government authorities.
On the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Braverman was confronted with footage from an incident in 2018, verified by the broadcaster, which showed the aftermath of a refugee protest after their food rations were cut.
According to the public broadcaster, 12 people were shot and killed in the incident by the Rwandan authorities, and the United Nations, as well as eyewitnesses, confirmed that live rounds were fired during the incident.
READ MORE: SNP say Tory criticism of Minister for Independence is 'hypocrisy'
The Tories' migration plan was announced in April 2022, and found lawful by the High Court in December 2022.
It could see those who enter the UK without a visa or permission to enter the country sent over 4000 miles away to Rwanda to have their asylum claim processed there.
However, the UK Government was forced to cancel the first flight attempting to take refugees out of the country after a successful legal challenge.
During the lengthy interview, Braverman also appeared to renege on part of the agreement with Rwanda, stating that the UK would not take any refugees from the country, despite it being set out in the deal between the two nations.
Braverman was challenged by Kuenssberg to say if she still believed Rwanda was “safe” despite the evidence of the incident from 2013. Initially, Braverman said she was “not familiar” with the particular case.
After detailing the incident and showing footage, Kuenssberg asked: “Are you sure still, that it is safe to send refugees to Rwanda?
“And I suppose the point here is, if something went terribly wrong, would you end the arrangement with that country, would you say okay, you know what, that was a mistake, bring people back?”
#bbclaurak - In 2018 12 refugees were shot dead in Rwanda after protesting over food rationing... is it safe to send refugees to Rwanda?
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) April 2, 2023
Suella Braverman - Rwanda is a safe country & it's the right solution for us
LK - The UN say this is not a safe country for refugees#Ridge pic.twitter.com/xLnuR2B5th
Braverman replied: “Well, as I said, that might be 2018, we're looking at 2023 and beyond.”
The Home Secretary added that the High Court found the Rwanda deal to be lawful, and the country a safe place to send refugees.
She said: “Rwanda, from which I've just returned, takes 100,000 refugees are resettles them, and I met some of them in Rwanda on my recent visit from countries in the region.
“They have nothing but gratitude and thanks for Rwanda for the resettlement scheme that Rwanda has put on for as I say over 100,000 people who are fleeing persecution, fleeing conflict.”
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf's dad on joining the SNP 50 years ago and his son as FM
Braverman insisted Rwanda has a track record of successful resettlement of refugees and asylum seekers.
“I think that, as well strong ground to say that Rwanda is a safe country, it is the right solution for us grappling with our small boats problem, and I believe it will strike the right balance of providing a humanitarian package of support for people who are refugees, the same time being a deterrent to those seeking a life in the UK.,” she added.
Kuenssberg pointed out that the UN has said Rwanda is not a safe place for Refugees. Braverman in response cited the High Court ruling, currently being appealed by the UN, and said she “sides with the court”.
She added: “Ultimately, they heard out, they listened to the United Nations in evidence in this hearing.
“They disagreed with the United Nations' assessment, the United Nations continues to work with Rwanda to resettle thousands of people every year in Rwanda, regardless of those concerns.
“So in my view, and in the view of the court, and the view of 100,000 people who are already in Rwanda, Rwanda is a safe country. It is appropriate for our purposes to work in partnership.”
Braverman was asked if something like the 2013 incident occurred, would the UK Government end the policy?
She said: “What I will also say is our legislation makes provision for those extreme circumstances whereby if there is something unforeseeable, serious and irreversible harm, someone would be able to challenge the decision.
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf is a trailblazer but class is the UK's 'true divide', experts say
"We consider that to be a very outside chance, a very extreme situation, but there's always allowance in the legislation to allow for that.”
Asked if the UK would stick to the part of the agreement to resettle some of Rwanda’s most vulnerable refugees and how many, the Home Secretary said that she didn’t “foresee that happening”.
Probed on why the UK would sign up to take refugees from Rwanda if it had no intention of doing so, Braverman appeared to suggest the scheme was a one-way street.
“The arrangement is very clear on a balance and overwhelmingly Rwanda will be taking people from the United Kingdom, not the other way around,” she said.
Braverman previously told the Tory party conference it would be "her dream" to see an asylum seeker flight to Rwanda take off.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel