The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk has strongly criticized the UK’s proposed legislative moves to facilitate the removal of asylum-seekers to Rwanda, stating that it goes against the basic principles of the rule of law and risks delivering a significant blow to human rights. The bill, known as the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, would restrict the ability of courts to scrutinize removal decisions and treat Rwanda as a “safe country” for refugees and asylum seekers, regardless of evidence.
According to Turk, the legislation would effectively remove the courts’ ability to settle questions of disputed fact, which have significant human rights consequences. He emphasized that it should be for the courts to decide whether the measures taken by the government are sufficient, rather than legislating facts out of existence. Additionally, he expressed concern about the unequal protection of the law and discrimination against a specific group of people as a result of the proposed bill.
The UN human rights office has echoed the concerns expressed by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), stating that the scheme is not compatible with international refugee law. Turk urged the UK government to ensure full compliance with the country’s international legal obligations and uphold its history of “effective, independent judicial scrutiny.”
The UN Human Rights Chief’s remarks reflect the growing international scrutiny of the UK’s legislative approach to asylum-seekers, and raise concerns about the potential impact on human rights and the rule of law. The UK government has yet to respond to the criticisms from the UN Human Rights Chief and the UN refugee agency, and it remains to be seen how this will influence the future of the proposed legislation. As the global debate on asylum and immigration continues, Turk’s statements highlight the importance of upholding human rights principles and ensuring equal protection of the law for all individuals, irrespective of their circumstances.
