Since the High Court’s judgement on the 19th of December which found the government’s plans to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda to be lawful, we welcome the fact that applications to appeal this decision are being made.
The Rwanda Scheme between the government and Rwanda enables the UK to forcibly remove those attempting to claim asylum in the UK deemed to have arrived by irregular routes, to Rwanda. The policy is already having a devastating impact on the health and wellbeing of those targeted and has been strongly condemned by the BMA and the rest of the medical community.
People seeking asylum are continuing to receive notices about potential removal to Rwanda. This continues to cause distress and worry. The harms to mental health, as documented in our report Who’s Paying the Price, remains to be of concern.
Along with the British Medical Association (BMA) and Medicines Sans Frontières, we are organising an open letter from health professionals urging the Prime Minister to abandon the Rwanda Scheme.
The harms that the prospect of removal to Rwanda is causing to individuals is unconscionable. As health professionals, committed to alleviating suffering, we cannot turn a blind eye to the harmful effects this policy is having and will continue to have on people who are made vulnerable by restrictive border policies.
You can add your name and affiliation to the letter here:
