Rwanda will receive some asylum seekers from the UK government.
The High Court declared the scheme to be legal, but there are still legal challenges pending against that ruling.
Some asylum seekers will be sent to Rwanda on one-way tickets during the five-year trial in order to apply for asylum there.
They might be given permission to remain in Rwanda as refugees. If not, they may apply for residency there based on different grounds or apply for asylum in a "safe third country.".
This, according to the government, will discourage people from entering the UK via "illegal, dangerous, or unnecessary methods," like tiny boats that cross the English Channel. .
Since the policy was announced on April 14th, the numbers crossing have not decreased. The highest number ever recorded used this route to enter the UK in 2022, more than 45,000 people.
The plan, according to critics, violates laws pertaining to human rights and that Rwanda is not a safe place for asylum seekers.
However, the High Court decided that the plan is legal in December. It claimed that the UN Refugee Convention is not violated by the Rwanda plan.
On the other hand, the High Court decided on January 16 that some of the parties who lost the case had the right to appeal certain portions of its ruling.
As a result, no flights will be able to depart for Rwanda while the matter is before the Court of Appeal. There's no set time yet.
As of January 1, 2022, "anyone entering the UK illegally" could be sent, according to a previous statement from the UK government.
Although it has capacity for more, Rwanda claims it can process 1,000 asylum seekers during the trial period.
As part of the agreement, Rwanda may also request that the UK accept some of its most vulnerable refugees. .
No asylum seeker, though, has actually been delivered to the nation. The first flight was supposed to depart in June but was postponed due to legal issues.
Following a campaign by refugee charities, Privilege Style, the airline that was supposed to transport asylum seekers to Rwanda, has announced it will cancel its contract with the Home Office.
For the program, the UK has already given the Rwandan government £140 million.
Flights to Rwanda, food, lodging, access to translators, and legal counsel would all be additional expenses. In 2020, the price per person to depart the UK on a charter flight would be over £13,000.
Former Home Office Minister Tom Pursglove estimated that the cost of the policy would be "similar to the amount of money we are spending on this currently.". In the long run, he claimed, "getting this under control should help us save money.".
The annual cost of the UK's asylum system is £1.15 billion. Spending on hotel rooms for refugees and asylum seekers averages close to £7 million per day.
The lengthy process of reviewing applications and the prohibition on asylum seekers working while awaiting status confirmation, according to critics, are the main causes of the high daily cost.
An individual who has requested shelter and protection in another nation is referred to as an asylum seeker, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
A person who has fled conflict or persecution in their own country is referred to as a refugee.
Refugees' legal rights are safeguarded by international law. The choice of whether to grant refugee status to an asylum seeker, however, rests with the host countries.
The UK received 72,027 asylum applications in the year ending in September 2022, which is a record high by almost 20 years. More than 17,000 of these people and the people who are dependent on them received some sort of protection.
