News Summary - May (part 2)

The first group of asylum seekers to be flown to Rwanda in two weeks' time; lone child refugees waiting twice as long now to be reunited with families; and the number of displaced people across the world reaching an all time high. This and more from May's news landscape in Asad's recap.

The President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Francesco Rocca, has denounced European countries' double standard on their acceptance of refugees, which has been underscored by their rapid acceptance of Ukrainian refugees as compared to refugees from elsewhere. Rocca asserted that “there is no difference” between a refugee fleeing the Donbas and a refugee escaping Boko Haram in Nigeria. - Republic World

The Home Office has doubled the time lone child refugees must wait to be reunited with their families residing in the UK. This comes as Home Office resources are being diverted to the processing of visas for Ukrainian refugees. One 14 year old Afghan refugee, living in a camp in Eastern Europe, has been told he must wait another four months, after already waiting two, to receive a decision on whether he can join his brother in the UK. - The Independent

It took 3 years for Mohammad to reach the UK after fleeing a massacre in Sudan, and he has now been alerted that he will be one of the first to be relocated to Rwanda. The government gives refugees that are being relocated 14 days to register reasons why they should not be relocated. “I thought the UK was a good country with a lot of humanity,” he stated in an interview. - The Guardian

Similarities have been noted between Australian refugee policy, and the new UK policies being brought in by Priti Patel and the Home Office. These similarities include off-shore relocation of refugees, a method that has long been practised by the Australian government, by which they send refugees to Island nations such as Nauru. - Arena

The UNHCR has said that the number of people displaced globally has reached 100 million, for the first time in history. The UN high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, has said this new statistic should act as a wake up call for the international community to "resolve and prevent destructive conflicts, end persecution and address the underlying causes that force innocent people to flee their homes.” - The Guardian

The number of Channel crossings for the year has passed 9000, with 685 people arriving in one five day period. Amnesty International has stated that this further displays the flaws with the Rwanda relocation policy, as we can see that it has done little to deter migrant crossings. - The National

A major report has shown that refugees who have been sent to more remote parts of the UK risk being denied proper legal aid and support. Towns and cities such as Plymouth, Stoke and Hull, have only one legal aid caseworker - because of this, many people are 'missing out on immigration status they are entitled to.'- The Guardian

After delays, the government has announced their plan to send the first group of asylum seekers to Rwanda on the 14th of June. The Home Office has stated that the initial group of migrants being sent away have begun to receive formal notices. - Reuters