Wilsons, Duncan Lewis and Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit among those able to provide assistance
The immigration and asylum legal sector has responded with urgency to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act becoming law last week and to subsequent reports in the media that asylum seekers face imminent detention for possible removal to Rwanda.
Image credit: UK GovernmentEarly this afternoon, the Home Office said the first people set to be removed to Rwanda have now been detained. Immigration minister Tom Pursglove said in the Commons this afternoon that an initial cohort of suitable cases of around 2,000 people have been identified for removal and have been placed on immigration bail.
After the passing of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill last week, Wilsons Solicitors published an article here about how it can offer representation for Rwanda removal cases. Wilsons previously represented a number of people selected for removal on the cancelled June 2022 removal flight to Rwanda.
As the article explains, people who appear to have been detained for possible removal to Rwanda or who receive letters dated after 22 April 2024 saying they have been selected for removal to Rwanda can contact Wilsons for legal representation.
Duncan Lewis Solictors has prepared a page here about challenging removals to Rwanda. Duncan Lewis says it stands ready to provide legal representation to individuals at risk of removal. Contact details are provided at the end of the page.
The page provides examples of notices that will be issued by the Home Office ahead of removal to Rwanda and it recommends that individuals served with such notices should seek legal advice immediately.
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) has published a page here on removal to Rwanda. Anyone in the North West who is detained and given any papers mentioning Rwanda is invited to contact GMIAU for urgent advice and representation if they do not have a legal representative. GMIAU says people should seek legal advice at the earliest opportunity, as this gives representatives more time to prepare a claim.
GMIAU emphasises: "Although the recent law is designed to make it easier for the Government to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda, there are still legal options and time to challenge your detention and any decisions that your claim is inadmissible in the UK and that you can be removed to Rwanda."
For people in Scotland, McGlashan MacKay solicitors in Glasgow has said it is poised to assist any clients or potential new clients with any urgent matters arising from the Rwanda policy, including detentions and removal directions.
Yesterday, Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) announced that it had relaunched its Rwanda Project to help asylum seekers apply for immigration bail if they are facing removal to Rwanda. The project will mobilise qualified and trainee solicitors to draft grounds for immigration bail applications and endeavour to provide representation. Full details are available here.
A number of other charitable organisations that support migrants and asylum seekers have also responded to the passing of the Act.
Right to Remain, which is a charity providing resources and assistance to help people to establish their right to remain in the UK, has a resource page on the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 available here. It explains how a Rwanda removal notice can be disputed and provides numerous contact details for organisations that can provide help.
The No Accommodation Network (NACCOM) has a similar resource page here with helpful links.
A brief explainer on who is at risk of removal to Rwanda and what help is available was published on X/Twitter by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI). As JCWI notes, most people will not be sent to Rwanda due to limited capacity. A further JCWI factsheet can be downloaded here.
Praxis has a page of important information on the Rwanda Act and the Home Office operation available here.
On Sunday, the Guardian reported that a major Home Office operation to detain asylum seekers in preparation for their deportation to Rwanda would begin on Monday.
The Home Office told the Guardian that ratification of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act meant "the Government is entering the final phase of operationalising this landmark policy to tackle illegal migration and stop the boats" and "[a]t some stage inevitably this will include detaining people in preparation for the first flight, which is set to take off to Rwanda in 10 to 12 weeks." The Home Office added that it would be inappropriate to comment further on operational activity.
The Home Secretary, James Cleverly, said in a written statement last week that the newly ratified UK-Rwanda Agreement on an Asylum Partnership treaty ensures anyone sent to Rwanda:
- will be safe
- will be fully supported for five years;
- will not be removed to a third country;
- will have their asylum claims processed fairly; and
- those who are not granted refugee status or humanitarian protection will get equivalent treatment and will be granted permanent residence.
Cleverly added: "The assurances in the treaty, alongside ongoing work to strengthen Rwanda's asylum system and operational readiness since the evidential position considered by the Courts in summer 2022, are sufficient to conclude that Rwanda is safe for relocated individuals."