The so-called Rwanda bill is unethical. It aims to scare already traumatised refugees away from the shores of the UK. It reflects a callous mindset. It brushes aside the UK Supreme Court which ruled it to be unlawful and defies international commitments to human rights and protecting refugees, including the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees to which the UK is a signatory. It reflects cruelty, not compassion. This weakens UK challenges to other countries to respect human rights.
Refugees should be given sanctuary, safety from harm and protection not further persecution and hardship.
The whole ‘stop the boats’ strategy is a gross injustice, and morally corrupt. It goes against law while it castigates those it considers to be illegal. Applying for asylum is not a crime. But criminalising people fleeing danger to save their lives, without even considering their claim or hearing their story, is a crime against humanity.
The Rwanda bill is not going to be the deterrent to people seeking sanctuary that it is designed to be. As the Rwanda bill was passed in the House of Commons, the tragic death of five people in the English Channel, including a seven year old child, was announced on Tuesday 23 April. This is the dangerous route many have to take, and will continue to take, to apply for asylum in the UK. This is the horrific context of the Rwanda bill. Opposition to this strategy is strong and will grow.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the vast majority of the world’s refugees are from countries in or close to war and conflict. Many of them remain trapped in their own countries and many take refuge in neighbouring countries. War makes refugees. Long term, investing in and building world peace is the priority in light of this. No one wants to be a refugee. People want to live safely where they are.
More immediately, those working with refugees are calling for safe routes, avoiding criminal smugglers, for all refugees, irrespective of country of origin and skin colour. Migration has been part of human life for centuries, and will only increase in the future. Humane international cooperation and processes to manage, not prevent, migration will provide better ways forward.
Government can learn from the Refugee Council and charities working with refugees. Their resources are stretched, but provide evidence of leadership from people at the local level. Challenge hostility with hospitality, cruelty with compassion. This leadership works from the perspective of love. The New Testament calls it “a still more excellent way” (1 Corinthains 12:31). Some of the poorest nations in the world support the vast majority of the world’s refugees. The UK can do better. We look to government to respect, not disregard, internationally developed human rights wisdom and conventions.
Inderjit Bhogal
Photo: Flickr/Matt Brown