logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2024
48m 12s

Controversial Britain-Rwanda asylum bill...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

A new law in Britain aims to send people arriving on small boats to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed. The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the plan made clear that people who arrived in Britain illegally would not be able to stay. The United Nations says the bill is the wrong solution and sets a dangerous precedent.

Also in the programme: What Ukrainian soldiers on the frontline think about the supply of new American weapons; and Aboriginal people reclaim spears taken from Australia by Captain Cook in 1770. We speak to one of them.

(Photo: Legal challenges meant the first Rwanda flight was cancelled shortly before take-off in June 2022. Credit: Reuters)

Up next
Today
Venezuelan opposition leader wins Nobel Peace Prize
Venezuela's opposition leader and pro-democracy activist María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.For years, she has campaigned against Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, whose 12-year rule is viewed by many nations as illegitimate. We'll speak to one o ... Show More
47m 29s
Yesterday
Trump says first phase of Gaza ceasefire deal agreed
US President Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of his Gaza ceasefire deal. We'll speak to the father of one of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza and get reaction from Gaza City. We also assess the chances and the many obstacles that remain in the w ... Show More
46m 43s
Oct 8
Ex-FBI director James Comey pleads not guilty to charges of lying to Congress
Former FBI director James Comey has pleaded not guilty in a US federal court to charges of making false statements to Congress and obstruction of justice. Also on the programme: President Trump has called for the jailing of Illinois governor and Chicago mayor, accusing them of no ... Show More
55 m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2022
Why is the UK-Rwanda asylum deal so controversial?
In April the UK government announced that they had signed a deal that would see asylum seekers to the UK processed instead in Rwanda, some 6,500km away. This caused outrage, with rights groups and campaigners calling the deal cruel, saying the asylum seekers who come to the UK ha ... Show More
14m 53s
Apr 2022
Is Rwanda really the solution to Britain’s migrant issue?
Rescued from the choppy seas of the English Channel or landing on the windswept beaches of the east of England, over the last three years thousands of people in small inflatable dinghies have made the perilous crossing from France. As dozens died making the journey, the UK deploy ... Show More
28 m
Apr 2024
Expulsions de migrants vers le Rwanda: que contient la nouvelle loi controversée du Royaume-Uni?
Le parlement britannique a approuvé un projet de loi controversé: celui d’expulser au Rwanda des demandeurs d’asiles entrés illégalement au Royaume-Uni. Londres mise en fait sur cette solution extrême pour dissuader les migrants qui traversent la Manche. Des hommes des femmes qui ... Show More
18m 38s
Jul 2024
A Troubled Plan to Ship Migrants to Rwanda
After a steep increase in migration, the United Kingdom turned to a controversial plan: sending migrants to Rwanda. But the plan has faced years of delays and legal challenges. Max Colchester explains why the U.K. pushed ahead, and what Rwanda stands to gain.  Further Reading: - ... Show More
20m 29s
Jun 2022
How effective is the UK's Rwanda asylum plan?
The UK is set to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda after legal challenges failed. It's a move described by many as inhumane. But will it stop refugees reaching Britain? Join host Mohammed Jamjoom. Guests: Clare Moseley -Founder of Care4Calais, an organisation campaigning against th ... Show More
21m 21s
Nov 2021
The English Channel boat tragedy reveals a bigger story
31 people drowned when a boatload of asylum seekers capsized in the English Channel this week.  The international community all of a sudden became aware of a crisis on the beaches near Calais in France.  People smugglers are loading migrants, looking for a better life, onto infla ... Show More
18m 25s
Jun 2022
Planes have changed: Britain’s controversial asylum policy
The European Court of Human rights foiled Britain’s plans to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda yesterday by holding that British courts must first find the policy legal. The Taliban have proven surprisingly adept tax collectors, though they will spend much of the funds on defence rat ... Show More
23m 5s
Jun 2023
France to deploy 40,000 police to counter unrest
President Macron calls for calm after crisis meeting. Also: Appeal court judges rule UK Government plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda are unlawful, and find out why Sri Lankans are getting an extended holiday weekend. 
28m 37s