British authorities have recently launched a new scheme to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, and have started detaining such individuals in this regard.
Gatekeepers News reports that the first deportation flights are expected to depart as early as July.
“Our dedicated enforcement teams are working at pace to swiftly detain those who have no right to be here so we can get flights off the ground,” Home Secretary, James Cleverly said on Wednesday.
The confirmation of the round-ups comes in the wake of a recent law passed by the legislators, which declares Rwanda to be a “safe third country”.
This bypasses an earlier ruling by the UK Supreme Court, which had declared the scheme unlawful on human rights grounds.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has promised to curb the arrival of migrants and asylum seekers, particularly those arriving on small boats from mainland Europe.
To this end, the UK government plans to detain people promptly before deportation flights start within “10 to 12 weeks”.
The government expects to deport 5,700 people this year, after it was confirmed that Rwanda had agreed “in principle” to accept that number.
The Home Office has released photographs and a video of immigration enforcement officers detaining several people with handcuffs at different residences, calling it “another major milestone” in the Rwanda plan.
