Asylum seekers say Rwanda bill causing mental health crisis | ITV News
Published on 2024-03-01 | Archived on 2024-03-05
They claim they were held as slaves in Libya, endured days without food or water, suffered sexual violence by illegal smugglers and were even stripped naked by border forces to escape to what they saw as a better life.
[TW: This report contains mentions of suicide and SA]
What 23-year-old Fitsum, 24-year-old Moges and 23-year-old Amara* were met with were chants to "stop the boats", political debates about asylum seekers in the UK and the threat of being sent just a three hour flight from where they started - Rwanda.
Now, they say their community is not sleeping or eating as they try to prevent suicides, refugees trying to "jump from the windows" and what they see as rising cases of addiction due to the threat of the Rwanda bill passing.
To add to this, they say there's miscommunication over whether or not the bill is already in force.
Our report comes as the National Audit Office today revealed the Rwanda asylum scheme cost could soar to £500m.
The Prime Minister said on Wednesday (28th February) that small boat crossings were down by a third, but the asylum seekers we spoke to say they would still make that journey again, despite the mental and physical toll it has taken on them.
Care4Calais are sceptical about the Prime Ministers claims, adding "It is too early to say whether numbers will continue to reduce in 2024. Crossings tend to pick up from May onwards, and weather conditions can have a significant preventative effect.
"However, it is clear that the much-vaunted deterrent effect of the Rwanda plan is negligible."
The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill aims to respond to a Supreme Court ruling which stopped flights taking asylum seekers to Rwanda last year and attempts to prove that the country is safe and that individuals can be moved there.
It's currently being debated in the House of Lords and has come under intense scrutiny by campaigners and public organisations, including the UN, who claim it "undercuts human rights" - but no date is certain for when the first flights will take off.
ITV News' digital video producer Sam Leader reports
• Subscribe to ITV News on YouTube: bit.ly/2lOHmNj
• Get breaking news and more stories at www.itv.com/news
Follow ITV News on Facebook: www.facebook.com/itvnews/
Follow ITV News on Twitter: twitter.com/itvnews
Follow ITV News on Instagram: www.instagram.com/itvnews/