The Rwanda Asylum Plan: Investigating the Impact of International Law on the UK Government’s Recent Policies on the Refugees

The UK has a long history of responding to global displacements through resettlement and integration. However, its recent policies and initiatives have critically impacted the refugee protection regime which goes against the UK’s perennial commitment to international refugee law and human rights principles. Taking instances from the Rwanda Asylum Plan, this paper investigates the impact of international law on the UK Government’s recent policies on the refugees. It argues that the impact of international law on such policy is somehow weaker as reflected in its recent refugee-related moves. It also argues that these policies are less than satisfactory, even though strictly they are not against international law. Two examples are used to substantiate these arguments: 1) the latest plan for immigration (2021) and the Nationality and Borders Act (2022), and 2) the absence of more equal treatment across schemes (Ukrainian and Afghan schemes). The significance of this paper lies in exploring the intricacies associated with the UK legal regime, insular national politics, and recent policies for the refugees so that they could better align with international law and respond more humanely to the refugee crisis as the consequences otherwise could create an unsafe global society where the dignity and moral claims of refugees are subordinated to legalisms.