IANS | 23 Apr, 2024
The Council of Europe, a European rights body, has sharply criticised the UK for its controversial asylum pact with Rwanda.
"The
UK government should refrain from removing people under the Rwanda
policy and reverse the Bill's effective infringement of judicial
independence," said the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human
Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The law raises
questions about the human rights of asylum seekers and the rule of law
in general, he said.
The Council of Europe is independent of the
EU and was founded in 1949 to protect democracy, human rights and the
rule of law in Europe.
The British bill, which was approved by the
House of Lords on Tuesday night after lengthy opposition, declares
Rwanda a safe third country by law. In doing so, the government wants to
prevent appeals against deportations before British courts.
The
asylum pact with Rwanda stipulates that irregular migrants will no
longer be given the opportunity to apply for asylum in the UK. Instead,
they are to be taken to Rwanda and apply for asylum there.
The
regulation is intended to deter people from making the dangerous
crossing across the English Channel in small boats. However, opponents
doubt that the law will deter migrants.
"Managing asylum and
migration is undoubtedly a complex endeavour for states, but it must
always be done in full compliance with international standards,"
O'Flaherty said.
The British law "is another representation of an
ongoing trend towards externalization of asylum and migration policy in
Europe, which is a matter of concern for the global system of protection
of the rights of refugees," he said.
In 2022, the European Court
of Human Rights (ECHR), which is part of the Council of Europe,
prevented the UK from sending asylum seekers of different nationalities
by plane to Rwanda.