British "shock attack" against asylum seekers

 

UK

British raid on asylum seekers - strikes during planned meetings

Amanda Hällsten

Updated 19.20 | Published 17.30

British authorities are to crack down on asylum seekers in a "shock raid" in Britain.

Then they will be sent to Rwanda, The Guardian reports. 

 

Britain wants to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. The controversial proposal has been on the government's table for some time and has been both re-debated and strongly criticized.

Among other things, the proposal has previously been stopped by the British Supreme Court - despite this, the country's government plans to go ahead with it. This after they pushed through a bill that makes it possible by a small margin.

Now The Guardian can reveal that the British Home Office is planning to crack down on asylum seekers in the country as early as tomorrow. They plan to take the people into custody and then send them to Rwanda by air.

 

            

              

Here, what are believed to be migrants are taken in by the British sea rescue to a port in Kent, UK.
1 / 2Photo: Gareth Fuller / AP
 

Strikes meetings

The operation takes place several weeks earlier than expected, writes The Guardian.

Among other things, the authorities intend to detain people who show up at their planned meetings with the British Migration Agency. The effort must take place throughout the country. In Scotland, the police have put themselves on high alert as they expect protests.

There are suspicions that they want the operation to be carried out before Thursday's local elections in England. The reason is supposed to be that the country's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to increase his confidence and show that he keeps his promise to "crack down on illegal migration".

Rishi Sunak has said, among other things, that the first flights to Rwanda will take off in "ten to twelve weeks".

Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of Great Britain. Photo: Frank Augstein/AP

Offers money
 

Earlier this year, the UK and Rwanda signed a new agreement. The reason was that the countries wanted to get through the controversial proposal that deals with deporting people seeking asylum in Great Britain to the East African country.

Britain has also put forward a proposal to offer 3 000 pounds  - around 40,000 kroner - to asylum seekers who voluntarily move to Rwanda.