UK plan to fly asylum-seekers to Rwanda draws outrage

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Conservative government has struck a deal with Rwanda to send some asylum-seekers thousands of miles away to the East African country. Opposition politicians and refugee groups are condemning the plan as unworkable, inhumane and a waste of public money. Home Secretary Priti Patel visited the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on Thursday to sign what the two countries call an “economic development partnership.” The plan would see some people who arrive in Britain across the English Channel flown 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) to Rwanda, apparently for good. The refugee director at Amnesty International U.K. called it a “shockingly ill-conceived idea.” Opposition parties accused Johnson of trying to distract attention from his domestic troubles.