UK Sends Asylum Seeker to Rwanda Under New Scheme

In a landmark move, the United Kingdom has sent an asylum seeker whose application was rejected to Rwanda under a voluntary scheme. The unnamed man, who left the UK on a commercial flight on April 30, arrived in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. This action is part of a scheme offering migrants £3,000 to voluntarily leave the UK.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to begin forcibly removing migrants with failed asylum claims to Rwanda from July, aiming to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel on boats. However, this move has drawn criticism from the Opposition, with Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, calling it an “extortionate pre-election gimmick costing UK taxpayers”.