UK launches ‘Rwanda operation’ to detain migrants earmarked for deportation

British authorities have detained an unspecified number of migrants in preparation to send them to Rwanda in the next nine to 11 weeks under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s flagship immigration policy, government officials said earlier this week.

Days after British Parliament adopted the controversial law providing for deporting asylum seekers to the African country, Sunak’s spokesman announced Wednesday that “the first illegal migrants set to be removed to Rwanda have now been detained,” adding that the UK was pleased that “the first detentions have taken place.” On the same day, the interior ministry confirmed that “a series of nationwide operations” was under way, releasing photographs and a video of immigration enforcement officers detaining migrants at different residences and leading them away in handcuffs.

The UK government expects to deport nearly 6,000 migrants to Rwanda this year, a senior minister has said, adding that of those, 2,143 “can be located for detention,” which leaves more than 3,500 migrants unaccounted for.

Rwanda has “in principle” agreed to accept 5,700 migrants already in the country, the UK Home Office has revealed. Official data shows that over 7,500 migrants have arrived in England on small boats from France in 2024. But rights groups and opposition parties have criticized the new deportation law for disregarding sections of relevant international and domestic human rights legislation and accused Veteran Rwandan President Paul Kagame of ruling in a climate of fear, stifling dissent and free speech.

The deal with Rwanda “is a violation of human rights on multiple fronts,” Yasmine Ahmed, the UK’s Director for Human Rights Watch (HRW) said, calling on Sunak’s administration to abandon the plan to send people to Rwanda.