Suella Braverman Says Rwanda Is One Of The “Safest” Countries In The World. LGBTQ+ Refugee Groups Disagree
March 21, 2023LGBTQ+ refugee groups have slammed Suella Braverman for calling Rwanda one of the “safest countries in the world” despite the Home Office admitting queer refugees could face persecution there.
During her visit to Rwanda’s capital Kigali on Sunday (March 19), the interior minister met with the Rwandan government to discuss the conservative government’s plan to deport asylum seekers to the east-central African country.
The widely condemned deal could involve the deportation of vulnerable asylum seekers, including survivors of torture and human trafficking.
In a video released by the Home Office, Braverman said the “groundbreaking” partnership with the Rwandan government will result in “people making dangerous and illegal trips to the UK, such as by small boat, being relocated to Rwanda where they will be protected and supports to build a new life”.
Braverman went on to describe Rwanda as “one of the safest countries in the world,” a comment also echoed by Cabinet Secretary Oliver Dowden who ‘SkyNews’ said he was “confident” that LGBTQ+ refugees are safe in the country.
But LGBTQ+ refugee support groups have said otherwise, calling for a “humane and dignified immigration system” that allows people “to live and love”, according to ‘UK Daily News’.
Micro Rainbow CEO Sebastian Rocca told PinkNews: “Rwanda is a dangerous place for LGBTQI people.”
Image Credit: Pixabay
Micro Rainbow is a safe house for queer asylum seekers and refugees working with LGBTQ+ people who have been forced to flee to the UK “to escape the persecution and discrimination they have faced”.
“The idea that LGBTQI asylum seekers could be safely relocated to the country – which does not have specific laws protecting LGBTQI people – is illogical, and the risks faced by LGBTQI people in Rwanda have already been recognized by the Home Office.” said Rocca.
“Suella Braverman’s commitment to moving forward with the Rwanda plan risks turning Britain into a country known for its cruel policies and attitude towards people in need of safety.”
Rocca called for the Rwanda deal to be scrapped in exchange for a “humane and dignified immigration system”.
“Defending Britain’s borders should not be about denying people the right to be, to live and to love,” he added.
A spokesman for City of Sanctuary, a charity focused on helping asylum seekers in the UK, said that the government’s policy “will cause catastrophic human harm to all who are removed” but is “particularly harmful to LGBTQ+ people seeking refuge”.
“The situation for LGBTQI+ people in Rwanda is so bad that people from the country have applied for asylum in the UK based on their sexual orientation.
“This cruel policy would potentially expose those already fleeing persecution to further danger.”
Robbie de Santos, Stonewall’s communications director, said in an interview: “The Home Secretary’s comments are simply untrue.”
“We know that LGBTQ+ people in many countries around the world – including Rwanda – are currently facing increasing persecution, detention and threats of state-sanctioned violence.
“The current asylum policy being pursued by the UK Government is illegal and unworkable and will result in LGBTQ+ people with the right to seek refuge in the UK having no safe or legal means to do so from their home country.”
Santos said the government’s plans put those who feel persecuted “at risk of further harm.”
He added: “The UK government should instead ensure that the system handles LGBTQ+ asylum seekers’ applications fairly.”
Braverman’s claim that Rwanda is “safe” for LGBTQ+ refugees follows the Home Office admitting there is evidence they could be persecuted in Rwanda.
A Home Office spokesman told PinkNews: “Nobody should be persecuted for their sexuality or gender identity and the UK can rightly be proud of offering protection to those fleeing persecution because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“People should seek asylum in the first safe country they reach – it’s the quickest route to safety.”
“Decisions to relocate to Rwanda are made on a case-by-case basis and no one is relocated if it is unsafe or inappropriate for them.”
Despite claiming that assessments are made on a “case-by-case basis,” the Interior Ministry, in a document issued on May 9, 2022, acknowledged that there was “evidence of discrimination and intolerance” against LGBTQ+ people in Rwanda.
The Department’s equality impact assessment for the policy, released at the same time, reiterated: “There are concerns about the treatment of some LGBTQI+ individuals, but we will continue to assess the impact on this group and consider the partnership as further evidence develops.”
It also stressed that while homosexuality was decriminalised in 2010, “at this stage research suggests that abuse is more than one-off but does not appear to be systemic”.
According to Daniel Sohege, an international refugee law expert who also works as director of Stand For All, an asylum advocacy group, LGBTQ+ people in Rwanda are likely to face discrimination and persecution.
Sohege said: “There may not be any specifically discriminatory laws, but in general the LGBTQ+ community is prosecuted under the laws of public decency with up to three years in prison.”
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