Reflections on the Rwanda Bill: Creating Welcoming and Inclusive Spaces
Written by Kim Supajirawatananon and Shakya Seresinghe
This is a food blog, but it is also a space where we share stories about humans who move. Movement is as fundamental as the need for food to eat and air to breathe; we move in search of safety, security, and prosperity. Yet in today's world, movement is subjected to scrutiny, regulation, and restriction.
Borders are more than mere lines on a map; they run deep within our communities and extend far beyond distant lands, maintaining and reproducing systems of power. Consider why some cross borders safely and leisurely while others risk danger and even death. Think about why bodies of water like the English Channel and the Mediterranean Sea have become mass graves for some, and holiday spots for the others. It's not the inherent nature of the seas that makes them deadly, but rather the violent border policies that deny certain groups safe and secure routes, turning these waters into death traps. That is why we must talk about the Rwanda Bill.
The Rwanda Bill is an incredibly violent piece of legislation that grants the government the authority to forcibly remove individuals who enter the UK through what it deems as "irregular means," such as small boats, to a designated ‘safe’ third country: Rwanda. There, their asylum claims will be processed, and if accepted, they will be integrated into Rwandan society without the possibility of entering the UK. This policy comes at a significant cost, particularly at a time when funding is urgently needed for essential public services. In the UK, schools are falling apart, more and more people are relying on food banks, and there are lengthy waiting lists for access to NHS services.
If the government really wanted to solve the problem of asylum seekers crossing the channel on small boats, they would open up safe routes for people to enter the country and invest in housing and other support structures, which would benefit all of society. Instead, they are enacting performative cruelty on a vulnerable section of society at the cost of at least £370 million over five years .
In autumn last year, the legality of the Rwanda Bill came under scrutiny by the Supreme Court, which raised concerns about its compliance with the principle of non-refoulement, potentially violating the UK's obligations as a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights. It's important to acknowledge that this issue extends beyond the UK; countries in the EU, USA, and Australia are also investing billions in externalizing and outsourcing migration control to countries in the Global South.
This involves the outsourcing of detention centres, asylum processing, and refugee hosting to countries like Türkiye, Libya, Sudan, Rwanda, and Papua New Guinea. These nations often act as junior partners, employed to control and prevent the movement of people by incorporating increasingly violent, degrading and deadly tactics. (See report 1, report 2, and if you can, please do read the work by Harsha Walia).However, this will not deter people from making deadly journeys in search of safety and security.
Conflicts will persist, and economic and climate insecurities will continue to displace people, particularly those from the Global South. It's important to recognise that this asymmetry of displacement is often perpetuated by global inequalities rooted in decades of, and enduring forms of imperialism and racial capitalism.
Migration therefore should be treated as what it is: reparations.
What can we do?
We must come together to resist violent borders that exclude and deem certain people disposable and undesirable. This involves actively including those who are marginalised or excluded. At MILK, we prioritise welcoming and supporting refugees and asylum seekers as they settle and find their footing in Glasgow.
Displacement brings profound pain and loss. Asylum seekers face various restrictions that hinder their ability to form connections and establish roots, often resulting in social isolation. We are committed to alleviating this isolation by offering a welcoming space where individuals can gather, foster a sense of community, and seek support if needed. Through our conversation cafes, skill-building opportunities, and sports activities, we aim to cultivate an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported, and are able to envision a future here in Glasgow.
As for the Rwanda Bill, although five airlines linked with government deportations have already ruled themselves out of participating in this scheme, please consider sending an email to AirTanker to do the same: https://secure.freedomfromtorture.org/page/147528/action/1?ea_tracking_id=web.
We'll continue to keep you all updated and share any useful petitions in the future. Next week, we'll return with more light hearted content, exploring spring eating!
Kim Supajirawatananon and Shakya Seresinghe act as the overall contributors for the blog, pitching article ideas, putting together articles, posting, and making small edits. We also run a peer-writers project on the side, where creatives from the wider community support the blog through editing, interpreting, translating etc. This blog is a collective effort, and we thank everyone for their contributions.
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Thank you very much.