News Summary - May (part 1)

The UK government to send 50 refugees to Rwanda despite human rights concerns; child protection crisis feared in the UK; safeguarding issues with the Homes for Ukraine scheme - and more. Catch up on the latest news in the first part of May's recap by our volunteer Asad.

The UNHCR has reported that, in 2021, over 3,000 people have died or gone missing whilst attempting to cross the Central and Western Mediterranean and Atlantic into Europe. The organisation has called upon its member states to work towards ensuring credible alternatives to these dangerous journeys. - UNHCR

The Greek Refugee Council, Oxfam and Save the Children has denounced what it calls Greece's ‘two-tier system’ for refugees. This system involves the welcoming of Ukrainian refugees, whilst Afghan refugees are moved to dilapidated parts of refugee camps to make way for them. Many Middle Eastern refugees are also violently pushed back into the Evros River whilst Ukrainian refugees are provided with safe entry and registration. - InfoMigrants

Campaigners from the Green New Deal Rising group have disrupted a speech by Priti Patel at a Conservative Party dinner, in protest of the government's Rwanda refugee plan. At the dinner, the group stated, “as young people wanting to live in a fair and compassionate society, we are disgusted by your treatment of refugees.” - The Guardian

The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that 254 people were detected attempting to cross the channel on the 1st of May. Bridget Chapman of Kent Refugee Action Network says this is evidence that the Rwanda plan will not work, suggesting that although refugees are concerned about potential relocation to Rwanda, it is not enough to deter them from attempting to arrive in the UK. - KentLive

Hundreds of Ukrainian refugees have been removed from the accommodation provided to them under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. This is after the people they were set to stay with were deemed unsuitable. Since the scheme's launch, refugee charities have warned that there is a high risk of predatory men taking advantage of the program, as most of the refugees are women and children. - The Guardian

According to Turkish Defence Minister, Hulusi Akar, the European Union has begun to acknowledge the Greek policy of pushbacks against refugees in the Aegean Sea. This comes after the head of the EU border agency, Frontex, was forced to resign after fraud allegations, and faced criticism for failure to protect the human rights of asylum seekers. - Hürriyet Daily News

Mohammad, an Afghan refugee who has been awaiting asylum in the UK for 14 months, has finally had his application approved. The timescale runs contrary to the government's website which says that asylum seekers should receive their decision within six months. - BBC

The Home Office has admitted that LGBTQ refugees could face persecution if sent to Rwanda, but is still going forward with its plans to send people there. Lewis Mudge, the central Africa director of Human Rights Watch, has accused the government of wishful thinking in regard to the quality of life the refugees will have in Rwanda, citing the country’s ‘abysmal record’ on guaranteeing internationally recognised refugee rights. - The Guardian

Boris Johnson has announced that 50 refugees will be sent to Rwanda within a fortnight. He has said that he is ready to fight the ‘lefite lawyers’ who prepare for legal opposition to the plans, and went so far as to suggest that he will order a review into the European Convention on Human Rights. - The Guardian

Charities in the UK have warned that the country is experiencing a ‘child protection crisis’, which will only be
exacerbated by the incoming Nationality and Borders Bill. Figures show that over the last three years, 600 unaccompanied children have arrived in Scotland, 88 of which have been trafficked and 11 of which have gone missing. -The National