First asylum seeker flown to Rwanda under voluntary resettlement program

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The first failed asylum seeker was sent to Rwanda after voluntarily agreeing to leave the UK.

The unnamed man, from of African origin, went to Kigali. on a commercial flight after receiving around £3,000.

He was flown to Rwanda on Monday as part of a parallel program, separate from the policy of forced deportation of illegal immigrants.

Flights for the plan, the government's flagship immigration policy, are expected to take off this summer after Rwanda's security bill was approved by both houses of parliament earlier this month.

Ministers said Monday's flight, first reported by The Sun, was the first time the government had relocated a failed asylum seeker to a third country and claims this is proof that the Rwandan plan will work.

However, a voluntary program faces difficulties. none of the legal challenges that have delayed Rishi Sunak's efforts to forcibly remove people from the UK.

In early March, the government unveiled plans for a voluntary parallel program under which the person was sent to Kigali.

It involves migrants whose requests for asylum were rejected given the thousands of asylum requests. pounds sterling for choosing to go to Rwanda.

The program is aimed at people who do not have pending asylum applications and who are able to be relocated quickly to Kigali.

A government spokesperson said: “We are now able to send asylum seekers to Rwanda as part of our partnership on migration and economic development.

“This agreement allows people without immigration status in the UK to be relocated to a safe third country where they will receive support to rebuild their lives. -claimants sent to Rwanda (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Labor had accused ministers of “resorting to paying people” to go to Rwanda after realizing that their expulsion plan “had no chance of succeeding.” »

Rwanda's security bill became law last week after months of discussions and...