Since the passing of the Illegal Migration Act and the new Rwanda Safety Bill, we have seen immediate action from the UK Government in implementing plans to forcibly remove vulnerable individuals. The Home Office are forging ahead at an extremely heightened pace to identify individuals for removal to Rwanda, a country that our own UK Supreme Court ruled as unsafe. The Safety of Rwanda Act has enabled the UK Government to ignore the Supreme Court ruling and progress with their harmful plans.
We know this is extremely frightening for our community members and we stand in solidarity with all those seeking protection in Scotland and across the UK. We will continue to campaign against this cruel and inhumane legislation with our colleagues across the country, but right now, more importantly is ensuring that those who may be affected understand who is at risk, what they can do and where they can source information and get support. We also want to ensure that our local communities understand the risks and how they can support those in their community.
Who is At Risk?
People seeking asylum may be at risk of detention/removal to Rwanda if you arrived in the UK on or after 1st January 2022 and:
- Your journey was deemed by the Home Office to have been dangerous or ‘irregular’ (small boat crossing/ lorry journey)
- You don’t have children with you
- You have not been granted refugee status in the UK
- Your asylum claim has been refused, withdrawn or treated as withdrawn and you don’t have an ongoing claim or appeal
The communications to look out for from the Home Office include:
- A Notice of Intent letter
- A decision letter which mentions the inadmissibility rules
- A letter stating removal decision
- A letter detailing removal directions which specifically mention Rwanda
If you have received any of these letters or think you may be at risk of removal, speak to your legal representative urgently. In Scotland, McGlashan McKay have confirmed they will prioritise cases for those at risk of removal to Rwanda. We would also recommend contacting your local MP.
We know the Home Office is currently mobilising to place individuals identified for removal into detention across the UK prior to removal.
We urge anyone who may be at risk to make a plan in case of detention, including:
- ensuring you know the name of your solicitors company, not just your individual caseworker
- keep a written note of key contacts including legal representative, detention support agencies, local
grassroots anti-raid support organisations (No Evictions Network in Glasgow), friends and other
support agencies - have printed copies of important documents and perhaps have these stored somewhere safe (with
lawyer/caseworker/friend with secure status - get in touch with your legal representative and support agencies
- ensure you have someone accompany you to any reporting visits and they have a copy of your important contacts. No Evictions Network can help with this through their buddy system.
do not sign anything without consulting with your legal representative.
Helpful information and contacts
Anti Raid Network has information on how you can help if you see a raid here
Just Right Scotland has published legal advice here
Right to Remain have published helpful information for those affected by the Rwanda Act here
Right to Remain have also published information on immigration raids and rights here
JCWI have published a helpful one pager on everything you need to know about the Rwanda Act here
The Scottish Refugee Council has a list of legal representatives in Glasgow here
Find details of your local MP using your postcode here
CALL TO ACTION:
We urge everyone in our local communities, to stand up and protect your friends and neighbours. Join the fight against these inhumane actions by being aware of local grassroots support organisations such as No Evictions Network and the Anti Raid Network. We call on Scottish legal representatives to support our communities with representation on individual challenges and where possible, prioritise cases for those who have received notice of intention/decision to remove. We call on local MPs to support individual challenges where notices of intent are issued to members of our community. We call on the Scottish Government, and local authorities to publicly oppose immigration raids in our communities. We call on local organisations and community groups to come together, share information and support organised collective action which protects our friends and neighbours.