Thread by @AlasdairMack66

So details of the “Rwanda plan” seem hazy, even to the minister appearing on #r4today, but here are some questions the government would need to answer before it could possibly be viable. 1/

If the intention is to make people ask Rwanda for asylum (as opposed to asking the UK for asylum while physically in Rwanda), what evidence is there that Rwanda has a viable asylum system? Are there expert interviewers, decision-makers, judges? Are there lawyers? Interpreters? 2/

Does Rwanda respect the Refugee Convention in practice, including eg for vulnerable groups like LGBT+ applicants, whose entitlement to asylum was controversial even here until quite recently (and who still face issues of disbelief & discrimination)? 3/

How will people have access to the health care which many of them will need, not only to treat their symptoms but also to help them substantiate their claims (eg if torture victims)? 4/

If the intention is to apply the idea to single men, and if the thinking behind this is that they are less likely to be entitled to refugee status, what is the evidence for that and how is this distinction not irrational and discriminatory? 5/

What evidence is there that Rwanda has measures to protect against trafficking, or re-trafficking for those who’ve already suffered it? 6/

What will stop people attempting to return to the UK illegally, thus opening up more, not less, opportunities for people-smugglers? Why will the measure not result in people simply "going underground", not claiming asylum & being exposed to exploitation? 7/

If the intention is that people should remain in Rwanda long-term, what evidence is there that they would have access to the job market, as well as health care to ensure their long-term recovery? 8/

To be clear, even if all these Qs were satisfactorily answered, this would still be a grotesque plan which is fundamentally disrespectful of people’s basic humanity. But if these Qs (and more) can’t be answered, I’m sceptical that it will ever happen.

https://twitter.com/AlasdairMack66/status/1514378553583878145?s=20&t=4HKnBdWzpf9HAYZxUWLxdw

The govt's been cooking up these plans for months (at least) & has had ample time to think these issues through. The fewer answers they provide to these obvious Qs (these⬆️ are just what I thought of in 10 mins over breakfast) the more this looks like a stunt & not a serious plan