Under the brutal plan, any refugee who came to the UK but was deemed “inadmissible” by the government could be deported to Rwanda with no chance of ever returning to the UK.

Since May 9 that year, we had been aware of 130 shocked and traumatised people being taken into detention. Our team worked closely with many of them, speaking to them daily to show support, whilst also connecting them with lawyers who could argue their cases.

The atmosphere during that time was tense, as exhausted men – some of whom were just miles from their UK relatives – soon realised why they were being held in detention, and they were frightened.

Whilst talking with one man, a caseworker recalls being told, “I have five friends

around the phone, we are listening,” as she carefully explained to them the Rwanda plan.

“You need to check all your paperwork for a mention of it. R, W, A, N, D, A,” she spelled out.

 As she listened to their shuffling papers, she told them, “the government wants to do this to you, but we are going to try to stop it. You understand? You are not alone, we are with you.”

Care4Calais had already been working to stop the unfair Rwanda plan long before it became “real”. We had already joined with the PCS Union and Detention Action to challenge the entire policy in the High Court, and the law firm Duncan Lewis were already preparing a case against the government to be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice that July.

We had hoped the government would wait to ascertain whether their plan was legal or not before taking further action. We were wrong.

In June, when the government issued actual tickets to those inside, panic and desperation filled the detention centre. Our caseworkers became support systems for men (many who were torture and trafficking victims) who were utterly demoralised.

Hunger strikes started, as did suicide attempts – by any means possible – one man drinking a bottle of shampoo, and when that didn’t work, trying to hang himself.

Behind the headlines, and the government’s insistence that this should go ahead, we

saw the human cost.

By June 14, after round-the-clock work, our amazing lawyers had achieved the cancellation of many of the individual tickets issued.

The number of tickets had reduced to five, and then late in the evening, the European Court of Human Rights intervened to stay removal for one of the asylum seekers.

With less than an hour before the chartered plane was due to take off at 10pm, barristers used this ruling to obtain an injunction, taking the remaining people off the plane. The last man disembarking just 30 minutes before scheduled departure.

This was an indescribable relief for everyone. Everyone connected with C4C was so happy that no one would be sent, and it seemed to some that the Rwanda plan was dead.

But it wasn’t. And it isn’t.

The terrifying thing is that, despite stopping the plane a year ago, the Rwanda plan is more dangerous than ever.

Ministers had every intention of cheering that plane as it took off in June 2022, and they’re even more determined for it to happen now. The Illegal Migration Bill is built on agreements with third countries who will accept our deported refugees, but we have only one – with Rwanda – and no prospect of any others.

We currently support 650 people who have been issued with Rwanda notices. Their numbers have included two pregnant women, trafficking and torture survivors, fathers with sons in the UK, and many more who have every right to have their claims heard here.

We will not stop fighting this cruel, ineffective and unfair plan, nor supporting those people affected by it. But we can only do this with your help. Please donate if you can – any amount large or small will make a difference to a refugee’s life bit.ly/C4CAccessTeam

The post Why we must not forget the Rwanda plan appeared first on Care4Calais.

For two months Kamal has lived in constant fear and anxiety as he worried about was going to happen to him. He knows of atrocities committed by the regime in Rwanda, and even now he’s been released, the thought of being sent there makes him physically shake.  It will probably give him nightmares for months.

“I spent 18 months travelling through Africa trying to find a way out. In every country I’ve been beaten, robbed and treated as sub-human, so why on Earth would I want to go back to Rwanda?”

Being free feels wonderful, he says, but he still feels weak, and his ordeal as a refugee isn’t over yet, because he still has to go through his asylum claim. But at least now he can begin to think about beginning his life again. He is so polite with such a big smile and an excellent sense of humour, and we really hope that he has a good, safe future ahead of him.

His problems began in Darfur many years ago – pretty much from the day he was born.

“The problems in Darfur aren’t just because of the war. It’s always been hard for blacks. The Arabs of the north treat us like animals and make life very tough. We cannot find jobs or finish our education, and university is almost impossible. Even just walking down the street is dangerous – they will stop you and beat you and take your phone or anything you may have. If you won’t give it to them they will use a gun to force you. In Darfur there is no hope, no future, no peace and no safety.

“Sudanese people are beautiful, they are so kind and peaceful but there is nothing for us. It is controlled by the north and we are treated like slaves.

“I was from a large family and there was never enough money. I used to help my mum in whatever work we could find. It was always low-level work in the markets, moving things and selling things. We would do anything to get money to eat.

“After primary school I was denied education but later when I was 18 or 19 I started to join campaigns to demand education and to be allowed to go to college. We demonstrated outside the university even though the police beat us and put us in jail.

“Gradually I realised  things would only get worse and I’d never have a chance to learn. With some others we decided to leave and so in December 2020 I started my journey.

“We began by heading into Chad. That was better than the desert to Libya, but still not good. There was a war there, so it was a dangerous place for us. We looked for a small town to find a job, but we couldn’t find work anywhere. Finally we heard about some men who were digging for gold somewhere between Libya and Niger, so we went there.

“The digging was hard work outside in the sun, but after a long search we found rocks containing gold and dug them out. Some other experienced men took the good rocks away to be cleaned and washed, so the gold could be extracted. They told us we had found a good place and to keep working. But after two months hard work they refused to pay us.

“By then we had nothing, and we were forced to continue work. We worked many hours with no rests and so little food. The hammers we used weighed 10 kilos and it was so hot. I didn’t think I could survive so I planned to escape.

“Four of us escaped. We split up so they could not find us easily, and I went into Niger to look for a job. There was nothing, though, no jobs and no money. After some time I decided  I had to go to Libya; I was lucky there I suppose, as I was never caught and put in prison, but I think that’s  maybe because I had such a bad time digging the gold.

“I found a smuggler and persuaded him to take what little money I had and let me on a boat. The boat headed to Lampedusa, but it took four days to get there, and the journey was very scary. There was no food or water on the boat and the waves were very high; by the fourth day the boat was finished, and the waves were crashing down on it making it sink. Luckily we were near the island by now and could get a network signal. A boat came to rescue us and took us to shore.

“I tried to get a train to Rome with my friend but we couldn’t afford tickets and we kept getting caught. But then an Italian lady helped us – she bought us tickets to Rome and took us to her house to sleep and to eat. You find kindness when you least expect it.

“From Rome we went to Ventimiglia, but again I had no money for a smuggler. There were lots of guys living under a bridge there and a charity that gave us food and water. Some of these guys were getting a car to France with a smuggler. It was only $40 to pay but I didn’t even have that, but I managed to get in unnoticed. I wasn’t found and got to France.

“From the border I travelled to Marseille and then Paris. In Paris I had to sleep on the street for two days, I had no phone and no money. Again I found a kind man who lent me his phone so I could call my friends to make a plan. We decided to meet in Calais to try to cross to the UK.

“I was in Calais for nearly 10 months. It was a very hard time, and I had to rely on charities for everything. I had no money and I tried so many times to get across on the lorries and by boat. One time a French police officer who had caught me lots of times told me, “if I see you again, you will not be alive to try any more.” So I hid for about a month and did not try. Then in June this year I met a group of people who had paid for a boat and when they ran to the sea with it I ran with them, and no one noticed or pushed me out, and I got across.

“I was in some place for three days and then taken to a detention centre called Brook House, where I got the letter for Rwanda. It was a horrible time, after everything they were going to send me back to Africa. I could not go back; I love my homeland but it’s not safe. I became very miserable. So it was a great relief when I found out Care4Calais were going to help me.

Now I’m in Liverpool – well, Runcorn actually. I like it here and I’ve met some lovely volunteers. But I want to move on. I want to get my education now and become a teacher. Education makes the difference in how people are treated.

“To others going through a journey like mine I would say don’t give up. Just keep fighting, cross all the barriers you find, take a chance and do it with a brave and proud heart. I am glad I am here – but I don’t feel safe yet.”

You can help Kamal and others like him by writing to your local newspaper to raise awareness. We provide a template letter and can help you to send it.  Read how here => bit.ly/RWDwrite

Name and image changed

The post Kamal’s Story appeared first on Care4Calais.

We’ve recently learned that the Foreign Office warned Priti Patel that refugees should not be sent to Rwanda due to human rights concerns, including that they could be forced to join the country’s army and sent to fight in neighbouring states. Following this disclosure, the Government has been ordered by the court to deliver more documents next week that had previously been redacted. What else could they be hiding?

This policy is brutal beyond words and, as we gear up to support another group of terrified refugees, the memories of the last attempted flight haunt us: suicide attempts, self harm, hunger strikes and distraught relatives. The thought of facing it again is weakening.

We need your help to remind the public why this policy must be stopped. Here are some easy things you can do:

1. Write to your local newspaper. This is a great way to raise awareness! We provide a template letter and can help you to get it sent => bit.ly/RWDwrite

2. Campaign at home or at work. For lots of easy ideas => bit.ly/RWDcmpn

3. Go to a demo or join us at the Notting Hill Carnival => bit.ly/RWDdemo

4. Support the campaign on social media => bit.ly/RWDsocial

5. Please share this post!

Thank you 🙏

The post Rwanda Update appeared first on Care4Calais.

I didn’t know it then, but when I had left home that morning, it was the last time I would see my children.

My name is Armn, and I’m from Iran. I grew up in a religious household, so prayer became very important to me. But from quite early on, I had doubts about Islam. I believed in an omnipotent God, and that was a comfort to me, but some of the religion’s ways and teachings as I experienced them were not right for me.

My conversion to Christianity took a lot of thought, but once I had made the decision it was final. There are many Christians in Iran, but they do not reveal themselves, and often hide their faith.

I became more active, and I began distributing Bibles from “pop-up” churches. So when the authorities came to my house they found the Bibles; I had no defence, as the evidence was right there.

It made things worse that I am Kurdish, part of the minority population in Iran. I had an education and a decent job, a job I loved. I was a good popular teacher, and I loved my students, but you are often viewed with suspicion by the authorities.

When the men came to the house that morning, I was in shock and was didn’t know what to do. I just rode my bike around for hours, but there was nowhere I could go. I’d been a schoolteacher in Iran for more than 20 years it was all I knew.

I finally called my older brother, and he told me not to go home. If I’d been caught I would have been arrested, sent to prison and then hanged as a preacher of Christianity. I think it was at this point I realised I would not see my children again. I couldn’t stop the tears, and even now it is so painful to think about.

My brother said I must go to a different city for a few nights, and then to the border with Turkey. At the border it is easy to buy a fake passport, and I found an agent (a smuggler) who got me over the border and into Istanbul. I stayed in a small house for eight days while they got me a European passport. Then one night he said, “You will leave tomorrow at midnight. Ask no questions, do not talk to me or about me.”

My plane landed in another European country, I do not know which one. I was arrested at the customs and put in detention – the hand cuffs were so tight I still have the marks they left. I’d always been a good citizen and never broken any laws, so I was so scared all the time, and I just kept saying “I am only a teacher”. There were no interpreters so I did not know what was going to happen to me. I was sure I would be deported. But the next day I was taken to a new place and made to sign papers and told I must leave the country. They gave me my bags, but not the passport.

Within days the smuggler got back in touch – they had been watching, and had known this would happen. I then spent 20 days in various places and cars moving around. My phone was taken from me. Finally the smuggler said, “Your flight is tomorrow night”. The smuggler gave me my new passport, and we got on the plane. The agent came with me but I wasn’t allowed to talk to him. I was told I had to pretend to be asleep the whole flight. He took my passport off me before we were seated.

When we landed I realised I was in the UK. There was a long queue to get through passport control. I was so scared I went to the back of the queue three times before I dared go through. The Border agent had a headscarf on so I knew she was Muslim – I thought when she saw me, she would shout, “Here he is! Arrest him!”

She asked me for my passport.

I said I didn’t have one.

She did not believe me, but then understood. She said I must report to a police station. I did that, and they took me to a building where I claimed asylum. I had my screening interview, and they took me to a hotel. And that’s where I am now.

I am just happy to be alive. I spoke to my wife for the first time when I got to the hotel. But there was no talking, just crying, we were so happy to all be alive. I never expected to have to leave but I thought the UK was the safest place in the world. That was until I heard about the Rwanda plan.

I have not been sent a letter saying I will be sent to Rwanda, but I am still terrified in case they do try to send me. The UK is the only place I am safe. The Iranian authorities can’t reach me here. Even in Germany they have killed people. I know they could get to me easily in Rwanda, so it isn’t safe at all. The fear of being sent there means I can’t eat, I am not sleeping, I have horrible nightmares when I do sleep. My mental health is suffering I am so scared and anxious all the time.

Refugees are scared of everything, after what we have been through it is hard to trust anyone. The world is a scary place for those who have nothing. I don’t know what I would do if I was sent there. It’s not something I can even think of.

The post Armin’s story appeared first on Care4Calais.

The post Flight stopped. Deportees saved! appeared first on Care4Calais.

Thankfully a further 15 people who had these documents have had them cancelled thanks to the efforts of the amazing law firms we are working with. They will continue working on the other ten.

Frighteningly it appears there are another seven people with removal documents whom we don’t know. Our great fear is that some of these people may not have lawyers to represent them.

We were of course disappointed that our injunction application was denied by the court on Friday. But it is important to note that this was not the main case to decide whether the policy is lawful or not. This was a request for an injunction to stop anyone being deported before the main case is heard in July. It seems very unfair that anyone could be deported before this hearing happens.

The good news is that we can appeal. So on Monday we will be back in court to ask again for this injunction from three new appeal judges. This is particularly important due to the risk of there being people in detention who don’t yet have lawyers. It would be horrific if they are deported without getting any help.

It was also disappointing that our application was denied following the very strong evidence given by UNHCR. Their lawyer came to court to give evidence that UNHCR believe the Rwanda policy to be unlawful and do not endorse the Governments Rwanda plan. To see the judge ignore this was disconcerting.

We are deeply concerned that the Government is willing to deport people who are victims of trafficking and torture. We estimate that 70% of those we talk to have suffered one or the other.

We have also met seven boys under the age of 18 who have been given notices to send them to Rwanda. We are working with lawyers to dispute this.

Also the disturbing trend of targeting Sudanese continues – as our sample gets larger fully one third continue to be Sudanese.

Hearing the stories of the people who will be sent to Rwanda is enough to give you nightmares. They have escaped wars, been tortured and abused and people have tried to kill them. It’s deeply shocking that the UK may subject these victims to further trauma, and the callousness of deporting torture victims is particularly breathtaking. Be in no doubt of the suffering this is causing; people commonly talk of killing themselves in the detention centres.

This policy is the end result of years of portraying refugees as less than human beings; it makes it possible for some to inflict pain on them without caring. Of course it makes the people inflicting the pain less than human too, because no moral human being could do this to another. We are in very dark territory now.

Since the court ruling our exhausted team once more set out to call every person. We were so worried that the impact of the news would be devastating for them. We don’t have words to thank this amazing team for their fortitude. To support their work donate here:care4calais.org/stop-rwanda/

The post Many deportees saved, some still threatened appeared first on Care4Calais.

We have spoken to over 100 people in detention who’ve been told they will be forcibly sent to Rwanda. Almost all are overwhelmed by total shock and despair.

Many came to the UK believing it to be a good place that would treat them more fairly than the places from which they escaped.

We say that the Rwanda plan is unlawful.

We hope the courts will agree with us.

Together with the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Detention Action, and four asylum seekers facing removal by plane to Rwanda on Tuesday 14 June, we have now issued judicial review proceedings in the High Court, challenging the Home Secretary’s plan to remove asylum-seekers to Rwanda. We are represented by Duncan Lewis Solicitors.

We argue that the Rwanda removals policy, as well as the removals of the four individual asylum seekers specifically, are unlawful on multiple bases.

These bases include, but are not limited to:

• the /vires/or legal authority of the Home Secretary to carry out the removals
• the rationality of the Secretary of State’s conclusion that Rwanda is generally a “safe third country”
• the adequacy of provision for malaria prevention
• and compliance with the Human Rights Act.

The claim has been issued as a matter of urgency, following the Home Secretary’s scheduling of the first removal flight to Rwanda on the 14th of June, and her refusal to give assurances that no removals to Rwanda would take place until the lawfulness of the Rwandan removals policy has been tested in court.

We also seek an injunction in respect of the flight scheduled for 14th June.

We urgently need to stop this brutal policy that will harm many innocent people. To find out how you can help, go to care4calais.org/stop-rwanda/

The post How we’re challenging the Rwanda scheme appeared first on Care4Calais.