Catholic charities in the United Kingdom are among those who have welcomed yesterday’s Supreme Court decision against the British Government’s plans to transfer people seeking asylum to Rwanda. Source: The Tablet.
Jesuit Refugee Service UK also added its voice to those now calling for the proposal to be permanently scrapped.
“JRS UK has consistently opposed this cruel and unworkable policy. We now call for the Government to abandon it. Forcibly removing people to Rwanda would achieve nothing except to violate their basic rights, trash the UK’s reputation on the international stage, and exacerbate fear and uncertainty among those seeking sanctuary here,” Sarah Teather, director of JRS UK, said.
JRS UK has directly supported more than 20 people, including survivors of torture, facing removal to Rwanda.
“The threat of removal is felt far more widely. Through our accompaniment of refugees, we understand the human impact of this policy and the profound dangers it presents to people in search of safety,” Ms Teather said.
She added: “While this policy has been ruled unlawful, the profound trauma it caused remains, alongside a raft of other hostile policies devastating the lives of refugee friends we accompany. We will continue to advocate for a fairer asylum system that recognises our responsibility to offer sanctuary and builds upon the welcome extended by so many people and communities throughout the UK.”
Aisha Dodwell, head of campaigns for Cafod, the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, said the Supreme Court ruling “makes clear that we have a moral and legal duty to care for migrants and refugees. The Rwanda plan was a cruel attempt to turn away people who are seeking protection”.
The Rwandan Government issued a statement saying it took issue with the contention that Rwanda was not a safe country to deport migrants to.
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Catholic charities and others welcome Supreme Court decision on Rwanda plan (By Ruth Gledhill, The Tablet)
