I know, why don't we send them all to Rwanda?

[Weighnow]

Does anyone else think this sounds like a suggestion someone made as a joke, to liven up a dull or fraught meeting and somehow, someone decided to run with it?

Oh no! Not international law! (Who cares)

@Weighnow we should ban the rnli and the border patrol from bringing them ashore too!! if their boat is not in danger then they should try and force them to turn around back to france!! if they do land then march them straight to the airport and return them from where they came!!

And it is very strange that British people are so close-minded that they are not aware that Rwanda has become one of the more functional African countries. It has had enviable economic growth and tbh Africa NEEDS something like this to foster dynamic growth.

America grew because Europe threw its excess people at the continent. There’s very little growth opportunity in Europe tbh (Europe is sclerotic) and if people were more open-minded, it could work. At least … it could be tried. Rwanda has so many raw materials to exploit and could really, really lead some sort of change and people in Europe just want to clutch their pearls and talk about how horrible the place must be.

And no. The rapists and criminals need to be sent back to their country of origin. Not be a part of this scheme.

Europe and the developed world cannot be hosting migrants like you see on the boats. There are few opportunities beyond menial work.

Surely it's the policy itself that is sneering, by positioning being sent to Rwanda as a suitable 'deterrent'?

It’s not a ruling. It’s an act of Parliament aka, a law. Specifically The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill which was passed yesterday and will get royal assent later this week. You can read it here: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3540

Once it receives Royal Assent (Charlie rubber stamping it) it will become a binding law and appear on https://www.legislation.gov.uk/

@Bridgetta if Rwanda ‘needs’ all these asylum seekers, why are we paying them £500M to take them? And why are even their own state-owned airline refusing to be part of the programme? Surely they should be paying us?

Isn’t it racist to be so negative about Rwanda ?
They might have a great life there

You’re right, it’s a wonderful country and the policy will completely backfire once word gets out - we will get far more asylum seekers coming here all with the hope that they will get a free ticket to Rwanda.

Tbh I am not sure why they want to go to Britain when all they’ll have is a menial job at best. Although they might get a council house on an overcrowded estate and poor (but free) medical care?

It’s unfortunate that people don’t want to flock to a country until it’s already well under development, but we have to remember that even in America or Australia, loads of people were forced there involuntarily.

There was questioning earlier on in the thread, asking if Rwanda was so nice why people didn’t go on holiday there. Some people do, but it’s very far away. Someone also commented that if it was so nice why politicians didn’t go there, and ironically I remember one of the former decent Tories- Rory Stewart posting pics from there. Of course only a Tory this mad and stupid bunch would throw out would actually know the country a little. One commentor also said it had only been in the news for the genocide- wasn’t that about 30 years ago now? It was definitely in the news for presidential corruption more recently. None of this is good, but the tone of many posters is that Rwanda == Eritrea, which is certainly isn’t.

If this government is so determined for an Australian- like immigration policy, then I feel they should use it on our territory. I can’t imagine the residents of Cumbrae, or Canna or one of the Scilly Isles would be very impressed, but if we’re going to isolate immigrants we should at least not pretend otherwise and show what the policy really means instead of offloading it onto another nation.

To be clear, I am against this policy. I don’t understand who this government expects to fill our service and caring industries. It’s certainly not their children.

If this government is so determined for an Australian- like immigration policy, then I feel they should use it on our territory. I can’t imagine the residents of Cumbrae, or Canna or one of the Scilly Isles would be very impressed, but if we’re going to isolate immigrants we should at least not pretend otherwise and show what the policy really means instead of offloading it onto another nation

I get this, but I also strongly feel that Rwanda is an opportunity and they could really use that kind of labour for their mining and extraction projects, building a real economic powerhouse in the heart of Africa.

A bunch young men from foreign countries should not be doing jobs in care homes with vulnerable people anyway, and there’s very little suitable work for them in developed countries, in all honesty.

Btw I don’t think for a moment any of the above would be the intention of the Tories. They do not have that kind of creativity. But it could be a nice side effect and a real catalyst for change in Africa.

Why would it be racist? It's a realistic view of a relatively poor country with a turbulent recent history and questionable leadership. How would they have a great life there? What provisions have been made, what opportunities are there? What do you think Kagame will do with them when the £ runs out and we've lost interest?

@Bridgetta

Alright alright - calm down Rishi. Do you work for the Tory party? If Rwanda is such a beneficial place to work, to raise a family, to live a life free of persecution (in all respects) then why was it chosen as a deterrent destination? Have you been there? Have you lived there as a non-native? Are you 100% certain these people's freedoms and rights will be protected - including the right to live a life free of persecution and freedom of personal choice - in their relationships, in their opinions, in their religions?

No is the answer

You think Africa is lacking in labour? Dear God. You really shouldn't comment on topics you clearly haven't the slightest idea about.

“Europe threw its excess people at the continent” is a bit far fetched. Many people migrated to the US to escape poverty and persecution. The US also incentivised migration by offering cheap land and job opportunities.

something needs to be done to stop the
criminal gangs who have a roaring trade in exploiting vulnerable people (and economic migrants too) but sadly nobody wants to do it. What's for certain is
that just allowing unchecked open door immigration, like Blair
did, isn't the answer.

Really? Name three of them.

What puzzles me is why so many people are so determined to pass through so many safe countries to try to get to the UK on a dangerous dinghy?

Let them work. Earn money and pay taxes. Unless nobody has noticed, we have a massive worker shortage already?

there's a very simple reason for that. Contrary to what many socialists believe, this is a very generous, liberal
minded, progressive country and offer a much easier route,
in terms of long term assistance and then benefits etc

Italy are doing something similar.

Well you should. It protects all of us.

Exactly. Instead we have a backlog of 100,000 people waiting for decisions none of them able to work.

You think Africa is lacking in labour? Dear God. You really shouldn't comment on topics you clearly haven't the slightest idea about

Kagame wants to make Rwanda a middle income country by 2030. He is going to need a lot of private and public investment to do that, which is how this deal probably came about. I do think they envision labour needs to grow, why else introduce visa-free travel to ALL of Africa?

One minute people are (rightly) wailing about lack of housing, hospitals, doctors, schools etc etc etc and the next you are welcoming all and sundry. Make your mind up.