Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

In Britain, LGBTQ migrants fear being sent to Rwanda

The government says its plan aims to deter the growing number of migrants making the perilous journey across the English Channel.

In Britain, LGBTQ migrants fear being sent to Rwanda

As Britain pushes ahead with plans to send migrants to Rwanda, Hadi, a gay asylum-seeker who fled Iraq, said he would rather be sentenced to death.

Under a controversial law passed in April, the UK plans to send asylum-seekers deemed to have arrived illegally on British soil to Rwanda, an East African country 6,000 kilometres (3,728 miles) from London, starting in mid-June.

Sitting in a park in Manchester's Gay Village, a neighbourhood in the heart of the northern English city, Hadi -- not his real name -- told AFP about his escape from persecution and rape attempts in Iraq.

He still bears the scars.

"I was hit on the arm and back and I lost consciousness because of the pain," he said.

Hadi, who is in his twenties, sought asylum in Britain in January 2022 after crossing Europe from east to west.

When he heard about the plan to send migrants to Rwanda, he thought he was reliving his worst nightmares.

"We suffered and escaped death, we crossed the sea, all to be sent to Rwanda? Kill me or sentence me to death instead of sending me there," he said.

He described the move as "unjust and criminal", amounting to "a death sentence for all refugees" -- and urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson and interior minister Priti Patel to abandon the plan.

Although homosexuality is not banned in Rwanda, LGBTQ people are frequently sacked from their jobs, disowned by their families, deprived of medical care and sometimes beaten up.

Britain's interior ministry, the Home Office, admitted in a report to having "concerns" about the treatment of LGBTQ people in Rwanda.

'Fear'
"Why do you want to deport them to Rwanda? So that they will be persecuted more?" said Aderonke Apata, who founded the NGO "The African Rainbow Family" and helps LGBTQ migrants integrate into British society.

Apata, herself a lesbian and former asylum-seeker, said Hadi "lives in fear every second".

"He thought the UK respected gay rights... Now that he is there, he is suddenly faced with the prospect of being deported."

She expressed fears there would be "no oversight of what's happening... in detention", and argued the monitoring mechanisms set to be put in place in Rwanda are not realistic.

"Here in the UK, personally, I had a homophobic attack when I was in detention," she recalled.

"That was here in the UK. Now tell me, if people are now taken to Rwanda, who is going to protect them?

"For me, what the government is doing is a way of washing their hands of the conventions that guarantee human rights for refugees," Apata added.

The government says its plan aims to deter the growing number of migrants making the perilous journey across the English Channel.

More than 28,000 people arrived in Britain having crossed the Channel from France in small boats in 2021, compared with 8,466 in 2020, 1,843 in 2019, and 299 in 2018.

But the move has drawn strong criticism from human rights groups, which on Wednesday launched legal action to block it.

It is unclear when the first flight will be able to depart, given the court challenge.

(AFP)

More For You

Daljit Nagra departs as chair of Royal Society of Literature

Daljit Nagra (Photo: RSL)

Daljit Nagra departs as chair of Royal Society of Literature


THE Royal Society of Literature (RSL) has announced the departure of Daljit Nagra, a well-known British Indian poet, as its chair at the conclusion of his four-year term.

Amid some frenzied UK media speculation over the leadership of the 204-year-old home for Britain’s literary talent, the charity also confirmed that its director will be stepping down at the end March. It comes in the wake of rows over freedom of speech and accusations that the RSL had failed to speak out in favour of some writers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Los-Angeles-wildfires-Getty

The fires have destroyed hundreds of homes in Pacific Palisades, a high-profile area known for its multimillion-dollar residences. (Photo: Getty Images)

Celebrities evacuate as Los Angeles wildfires destroy homes

CELEBRITIES including actors, musicians, and other public figures were among tens of thousands affected by deadly wildfires in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The entertainment industry has largely paused, with events such as a major awards show and a Pamela Anderson film premiere cancelled as firefighters combat flames driven by hurricane-force winds.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tirupati-temple

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which operates the temple, apologised for the incident and promised action against those responsible. (Photo: X/@TTDevasthanams)

Six dead in stampede at India's Tirupati temple

AT LEAST six people have died and 35 were injured in a stampede near the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in India's southern state of Andhra Pradesh, authorities said on Thursday.

The incident occurred as thousands of devotees rushed to secure free passes to visit the temple, popularly known as Tirupati.

Keep ReadingShow less
People-smuggling-Getty

Last year, 36,816 people were detected making the crossing, a 25 per cent increase from 2023 and the second-highest annual total on record. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Sanctions to target people smugglers under new plan

THE GOVERNMENT has announced plans to impose economic sanctions on people smugglers in an effort to curb migrant crossings in small boats over the Channel.

The proposed measures, described as the world’s first “standalone sanctions regime” targeting people smugglers, aim to address the issue by sanctioning individuals and groups facilitating these dangerous journeys.

Keep ReadingShow less
China’s mega dam sparks
growing concerns in India

The £109.4 billion project is in the fragile Himalayan region, prone to earthquakes

China’s mega dam sparks growing concerns in India

CHINA on Monday (6) reiterated its plan to build the world’s biggest dam over the Brahmaputra River in Tibet near the Indian border. This follows New Delhi’s concerns raised last Friday (3), stating that it will “monitor and take necessary measures to protect our interests.”

The project, estimated to cost around $137 billion (£109.4bn), is located in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region along a tectonic plate boundary where earthquakes occur frequently.

Keep ReadingShow less