The UK will send the first group of asylum seekers to Rwanda on June 14 as part of its policy designed to break people-smuggling networks and stem the flow of migrants across the channel.

“The removal direction confirms that they will be going to Rwanda, and the first flight is expected to take place on June 14,” Britain’s Home Secretary Priti Patel said in a statement.

In April, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced plans to send some people who sought asylum in Britain to Rwanda in a plan that drew criticism from both within and outside his Conservative Party and many charities.

The Home Office on Tuesday said an initial group of migrants had received formal letters telling them they are being sent to Rwanda to “rebuild their lives in safety.”

The plan to send unwanted asylum seekers to Africa came as Mr Johnson faced the growing threat of a confidence vote.

Some of his lawmakers said they had lost faith in his leadership over illegal parties held at his residence during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Concerns over immigration were a big factor in the 2016 Brexit vote, and Mr Johnson has been under pressure to deliver on his promise to “take back control” of Britain’s borders.

In 2021, more than 28,000 migrants and refugees made the crossing from mainland Europe to Britain, mostly in small boats.

The government has dismissed criticism that the policy lacks compassion, saying it is worse to encourage a system where people smugglers exploit many asylum seekers.

The Home Office did not say how many asylum seekers would be on the first flight to Rwanda. 

(Reuters/NAN)