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https://theconversation.com/even-many-critics-of-the-rwanda-deportation-policy-are-missing-the-point-of-why-its-wrong-221425>
"The UK government’s proposals to send asylum seekers arriving to the UK onto
Rwanda continue to spark intense opposition.
This includes opposition from right-wing Conservative MPs who don’t think the
plan goes far enough. Several recently attempted a rebellion against the latest
bill, arguing that it failed to conclusively stop refugees from legally
challenging their own deportation to Rwanda.
The government’s proposal now faces challenges in the House of Lords.
Politicians on the left and in the centre, international human rights experts
and humanitarian organisations continue to warn that the bill poses a
constitutional danger and breaches international law.
Labour has said that it opposes the policy on the grounds that it is
unworkable, a breach of international law, and unaffordable. It has vowed to
scrap it if they enter government.
The ongoing debate has focused mainly on the legality of the bill and on
Rwanda’s perceived saftey. In my view as a political philosopher, this fails to
articulate exactly why the policy is fundamentally wrong. Opponents of the
policy on the left must reckon with the racist undertones of the policy and its
prejudicial treatment of specific groups of refugees.
Much recent discussion suggests that the policy is wrong primarily because
Rwanda is not a “safe” place for refugees. Indeed, this was the basis of the UK
Supreme Court’s ruling of the plan as unlawful. The court’s main concern was
that many refugees, if sent to Rwanda, would face the risk of refoulement:
being returned to a country where they could face persecution.
Since the Supreme Court ruling, the government has drafted new legislation to
declare that Rwanda is safe, and signed a new treaty with Rwanda guaranteeing
against the risk of refoulement.
It is dispiriting to those of us familiar with the history of the UK’s
relationship with Rwanda – particularly the gross lack of care the UK
government showed Rwanda during the country’s genocide – to see the government
now appear so interested in Rwanda’s safety."
Shamefully inspired by Australia’s policy which is equally wrong.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
