Britain's Rwanda asylum plan criticized

NAIROBI — The British government failed to assess the climate threats posed to tens of thousands of asylum seekers it plans to send to Rwanda, the charity Christian Aid has said, as the High Court in London ruled the controversial deportation policy was lawful.

Under a deal with Rwanda struck in April, Britain intends to relocate people who arrive on its shores illegally to Rwanda, more than 6,400 kilometers away.

Christian Aid said that despite Rwanda's acute vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, Britain's Home Office had not conducted an assessment of the climate risks the asylum seekers could face if sent there.

This was even though Britain's Foreign Office published a report this year highlighting numerous climate-linked threats affecting Rwanda and forecasting that these would worsen in coming years, Christian Aid said.

"Any basic research into the climate dangers posed to Rwanda would have found warnings …which show that the country is unsuitable for vulnerable people in need of support to build a safe and prosperous life," a Christian Aid spokesperson said.

'Groundbreaking' deal

A Home Office spokesperson said the 120-million-pound ($146-million) deal was "groundbreaking "and asylum seekers would be given the necessary help to rebuild their lives in Rwanda.

"Rwanda is a safe country with a track record of supporting refugees. The UK government already works extensively with the government of Rwanda to help mitigate the impacts of climate change and to develop new green solutions for the future."

At least 40,000 migrants have arrived in Britain on small boats this year, a record number, according to government figures.

Since the deportation deal was announced it has sparked criticism, including from the United Nations and the Church of England.

John Sentamu, former Archbishop of York and chair of Christian Aid, has described the policy as "a shameful moral failure".

The first planned deportation flight was blocked in June by a last-minute injunction from the European Court of Human Rights, and the strategy's lawfulness was subsequently challenged by a judicial review at the High Court in London.

However, on Monday the court ruled that it was lawful for Britain to make arrangements with the Rwandan government to send asylum seekers to the country to determine their claims there.

Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa, a think tank in Nairobi, said the Home Office's failure to consider the climate change implications of the deal was "especially worrying".

Agencies via Xinhua