The Leader

Rwanda migration plans “Human rights calamity”

Listen on

Episode notes

The UK government’s plans to send refugees to Rwanda have been described as a ‘human rights calamity’ by Amnesty International.


On Thursday Boris Johnson set out the plan to send some of the migrants who cross the channel into the UK, more than 4,000 miles away to the African continent.


It’s been met with a huge backlash from opposition MPs, public figures, and human rights organisations.


Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Director shares his reaction to the plan, explains why it won’t solve the UK’s immigration problems, and discusses his hopes that the government will be pressured into a u-turn.


In this episode:


  • Steve’s reaction to the Rwanda migration plans (1.14)
  • What happened to similar schemes by Australia and Isreal (2.13)
  • How the plan impacts human rights laws (3.45)
  • Is Rwanda as safe as Boris Johnson claims? (5.05)
  • What other options could the government take? (6.06)
  • Could the government be forced into a U-turn? (7.06)
  • Are there concerns that more countries could opt for similar schemes? (8.10)


Follow us on Twitter for all the latest news @EveningStandard





Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.