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UK to send asylum seekers to Rwanda


Why is it in the news?

  • UK Parliament has passed the bill to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

About the bill

  • The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill grants UK immigration authorities the power to send any asylum seeker entering the UK “illegally” after January 2022 to Rwanda, regardless of their intent to claim asylum on legitimate grounds.
  • The bill overrides laws preventing the deportation of migrants identified for removal, compelling courts and tribunals to treat Rwanda as a “safe country.”

Issues and Concerns:

  • Concerns have been raised regarding Rwanda’s human rights record, with allegations of ill-treatment of dissidents, journalists, and refugees.
  • The bill potentially violates the principle of non-refoulement, a core principle of international refugee law that prohibits the transfer of refugees to a country where they may face persecution or danger.
India’s Stand on Refugee Convention

·        The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol are key legal instruments governing refugee protection, with non-refoulement as a core principle. India is not a party to these agreements.

·        India does not have a national refugee protection framework but grants asylum to refugees from neighbouring states.

·        It respects UNHCR’s mandate for nationals from Afghanistan and Myanmar, conducting refugee status determination for asylum-seekers from non-neighbouring countries before granting asylum.

 

Subject:

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