PRESS RELEASE
Muslim Council of Britain Speaks Out Against Proposed Plans to Deport Migrants to Rwanda
20 April 2022
The Muslim Council of Britain today spoke out against the government’s controversial proposals to deport certain migrants to Rwanda. The MCB backs the Archbishop of Canterbury’s intervention on this matter, having recently warned that the policy raises ‘serious ethical questions.’
Zara Mohammed, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain said:
“These proposals target the most vulnerable in our global society. Whilst these measures seek to deter families from taking illegal routes, they in fact provide smugglers with the opportunity to further exploit those willing to take desperate measures. We are deeply concerned of suggestions that this policy will be discriminatory from inception. Reports from government sources indicate that certain nationalities will be excluded from the scheme.
We support the Archbishop, Justin Welby’s intervention; we should all consider our obligation to speak truth to power. Justin Welby’s words are echoed by the UNHCR who said that the plans are an ‘egregious breach of international and refugee law.’
Focusing on the plight of the migrants, Lord Dubbs, who fled Czechoslovakia on the Kindertransport, said ‘You can’t just shunt them around like unwanted people.’
The solution to this problem does not lie in condemning the people who are fleeing for their lives, but in providing safe and accessible routes as well as shelter.”
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