Tag: Rwanda

Bishop of Southwark asks a question about the government’s immigration policy

The Bishop of Southwark asked a question during a debate on the government’s policy towards asylum seekers and deportations to Rwanda on 14th June 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: My Lords, following the Minister’s opening words, I presided at a midnight mass to commemorate the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire at All Saints West Dulwich, which went on until the early hours of this morning, so I was grateful for the tribute she paid.

Bearing in mind the force of today’s letter in the Times signed by all the serving Lords spiritual, will the Minister acknowledge, contrary to what some of her colleagues have said, that the Bishops and others have offered alternatives—in particular, safe and legal routes which are unavailable to those who wish to apply from countries such as Iran, Iraq and Eritrea? Secondly, will she inform the House how removals may go ahead if the monitoring committee, set out in the memorandum of understanding to scrutinise processing, reception, accommodation and post-asylum treatment, does not exist? Finally, on the use of language, does the Minister agree that there is no such thing in law as an “illegal asylum seeker”, only an asylum seeker?

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Bishops’ letter to The Times on the Rwanda asylum removals policy


14/06/2022

All of the Lords Spiritual signed a letter to The Times voicing alarm about the Government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. They wrote:

Whether or not the first deportation flight leaves Britain today for Rwanda, this policy should shame us as a nation. Rwanda is a brave country recovering from catastrophic genocide. The shame is our own, because our Christian heritage should inspire us to treat asylum seekers with compassion, fairness and justice, as we have for centuries. Those to be deported to Rwanda have had no chance to appeal, or reunite with family in Britain. They have had no consideration of their asylum claim, recognition of their medical or other needs, or any attempt to understand their predicament.

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Bishop of Durham asks about asylum seekers and Rwanda

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 9th June 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government:

  • when they will publish the terms of reference for the Monitoring Committee, which was referred to in the Memorandum of Understanding with the government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement; and when the Monitoring Committee will be operational.
  •  whether individuals have been appointed to the Monitoring Committee that was set out in the Memorandum of Understanding with the government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement.
  • whether co-chairs have been appointed to the Joint Committee that was to be established “without delay” after the asylum partnership arrangement with the government of the Republic of Rwanda came into effect.
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Bishop of Southwark asks about vaccinations for refugees sent to Rwanda

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answer on 6th June 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government whether asylum seekers removed to Rwanda as part of the UK–Rwanda Asylum Partnership Arrangement will receive vaccinations for (1) Hepatitis A, (2) Tetanus, and (3) Typhoid, prior to travelling to that country, in line with (a) advice, and (b) recommendations, from the (i) National Health Travel Network, and (ii) the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

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Bishop of Southwark asks about the government’s asylum agreement with Rwanda

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 26th May 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government:

  • in respect of paragraph 9.1.2 of the Memorandum of Understanding with the government of Rwanda for an asylum partnership arrangement signed in Kigali on 13 April, what equivalent standard applies in Rwanda for the Home Office requirement that interpreters are members of the Institute of Translating and Interpreting, The Chartered Institute of Linguists, or if with a company, then the latter is a member of the Association of Translation Companies.
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Archbishop of Canterbury asks about the government’s asylum policy

The Archbishop of Canterbury received the following written answers on 24th May 2022:

The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury asked Her Majesty’s Government:

  • what criteria they will use to determine whether someone arriving in the UK, outside of the authorised channels, is eligible for being relocated to Rwanda.
  • whether families will be split up through the new Asylum Partnership Arrangement with Rwanda; and if not, what evidence they have that the policy will not lead to increased trafficking of women and children.
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Bishop of Southwark asks about government’s asylum policy

The Bishop of Southwark received the following written answers on 24th May 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Southwark asked Her Majesty’s Government when they expect the removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda will begin under the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda.

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Bishop of Durham asks about government’s immigration policy

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 28th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government who will be on the Independent Monitoring Board referred to in the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK Government and the government of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement; and when will the Board be fully operational.

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Bishop of Chelmsford asks about government’s immigration policy

The Bishop of Chelmsford asked a question about the government’s immigration agreement with Rwanda on 25th April 2022:

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: My Lords, Amnesty International’s latest annual report sets out that, in Rwanda:

“Violations of the rights to a fair trial, freedom of expression and privacy continued, alongside enforced disappearances, allegations of torture and excessive use of force.”

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Bishop of Durham asks about new Rwandan High Commissioner to the UK

The Bishop of Durham received the following written answer on 25th October 2021:

The Lord Bishop of Durham asked Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which the proposed new Rwandan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Busingye Johnston, upholds international law; whether they intend to accept his diplomatic credentials; and what discussions they will have with the government of Rwanda about upholding international law.

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