LONDON
\nThe UK government has been warned against letting Afghans who worked and fought alongside British and coalition forces be deported to Rwanda.
\nMembers of the House of Lords are debating new legislation proposed to allow asylum-seekers who arrive in the UK illegally to be removed to the East African state for processing.
\nOn Monday, peers rejected the government\u2019s attempts to have Rwanda declared a safe country until certain safeguards are met.
\nIn 2023, the UK Supreme Court ruled the Rwanda plan unlawful, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pressed ahead, including trying to assert that the country is safe via legislation so as not to \u201cfrustrate the will of the (British) people.\u201d
\nThe Lords are also discussing changes to the legislation, proposed by former Defence Secretary Lord Browne of Ladyton, to exempt Afghans with a history of service alongside UK counterparts. Peers are due to vote on the amendments on Wednesday.
\nThe Illegal Migration Act, given assent on July 20, 2023, states that illegal migrants who entered the UK after that date must be removed, and that asylum cannot be given to anyone who entered the country illegally on or after March 7 that year.
\nLord Browne\u2019s changes would mean foreign nationals who helped the UK Armed Forces overseas in an \u201cexposed or meaningful manner,\u201d or were \u201cemployed by or indirectly contracted to provide services to the UK government in an exposed or meaningful manner,\u201d would be exempt, along with their families.
\nLord Carlile, a former terrorism legislation reviewer, called the amendments \u201cjust, fair and required.\u201d
\nHe told The Independent: \u201cIf it is put to the vote, there will be a lot of support for not sending people who worked with Britain in Afghanistan to Rwanda \u2014 provided peers are satisfied it is drawn in a way which would not allow for people to use the system illegitimately.
\n\u201cObviously, we want to help genuine Afghans who would be in real trouble if, via Rwanda, they were returned to Afghanistan.\u201d
\nHe added: \u201cWe have to understand that the House of Lords cannot simply wreck government legislation, we are not trying to do that.
\n\u201cBut if there is something that is just and fair and required, then we will say to the government, \u2018this is not acceptable.\u2019\u201d
\nThe former chief of the UK\u2019s general staff, Gen. Lord Dannatt, has also said he supports the proposed amendments, alongside former diplomat Tim Willasey-Wilsey, who told The Independent: \u201cIt is imperative that the House of Commons should accept Lord Browne\u2019s amendment.\u201d
\nConservative MP Julian Lewis, former chair of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee, told The Independent: \u201cI\u2019m very sympathetic to rescuing Afghans at risk for having helped the UK Nato\/Isaf forces to fight the Taliban.
\n\u201cProvided that their specific service background can be verified by our MoD (Ministry of Defence) and\/or individual veterans, it ought to be possible for them to apply to come here from the first safe country they reach, and it should not be necessary for them to make a risky and illegal Channel crossing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON The UK government has been warned against letting Afghans who worked and fought alongside British and coalition forces be deported to Rwanda. Members of the House of Lords are debating new legislation proposed to allow asylum-seekers who arrive in the UK illegally to be removed to the East African state for processing. On Monday, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":308891,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-391726","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n