Britain to Deny Entrance and Send Refugees to Rwanda
Posted by Ryan Moffatt, Colgate University Class of 2023
Castle, Stephen, et al. “U.K. Plans to Send Some Asylum Seekers to Rwanda.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Apr. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/14/world/europe/uk-rwanda-asylum-seekers.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article.
Britain is in the process of implementing a new plan that would deny certain refugees entrance to the country and send them to Rwanda. The plan would stop refugees and asylum seekers from entering Britain, instead forcing them to relocate to Rwanda. The U.K would be providing Rwanda with around 120 million pounds ($157 million) to fund opportunities for the immigrants in areas such as education and other training.
Whether or not this proposal will be implemented is largely dependent on if the Nationality and Borders Bill is passed. This bill would “criminalize anyone entering the country without a valid visa or through what the government calls ‘irregular routes.’” This move comes from the current conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson as an attempt to gain better control of the borders in the U.K. Ukrainian refugees are allowed in the country amidst Russian attacks, however those from other countries such as Albania, Iraq and Sudan are being sent elsewhere, showing a lack of consistency. In addition, there is backlash to the plan because people think other large nations will follow Britain, and sending refugees to other countries rather than accepting them will become a trend.
The plan will have economic impacts in both Britain and Rwanda. Rwanda would experience a surge of migrants, which increases population growth as well as labor supply. Britain will experience a decrease in labor supply because refugees will be leaving, which could drive up natives’ wages. In the short run, citizens in Rwanda could be upset as immigrants may enter and take their jobs. However, long run economic implications could be quite positive for Rwanda, especially because Britain is helping finance education and training early on, which will pay off in generations to come
One thought on “Britain to Deny Entrance and Send Refugees to Rwanda”
I’d be very interested to see how Rwanda’s deal will reflect on future immigration policy, especially in the United States. I would imagine this would stir up a major political controversy in our country. To add, I’m curious to see the fiscal effects on Rwanda. Will they see an initial dip in short-run migrant costs due to the 120-pound additional funding?