UNHCR logo
  • Donate Now
UNHCR logo
  • Search
  • Philippines
  • Menu

Select a language for our global site:

English Français Español عربي
Select a country site:
  • Donate Now
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Media Centre

Share

Facebook Twitter
  • Who we are
    • History
    • UNHCR in the Philippines
    • International Conventions and Human Rights Treaties
    • Figures at a Glance
  • What We Do
    • Persons of Concern to UNHCR
    • Providing Durable Solutions to Refugees
    • Ending and Reducing Statelessness
    • Empowering Displaced Families in the Philippines
    • The Global Compact on Refugees
    • How Donations Are Used
  • Where We Work
    • Around the World
    • Fact Sheet: Philippine Operations
    • Emergencies
  • Protection Cluster
    • Mindanao Displacement Dashboards
    • Marawi Conflict
  • Media Centre
    • News Stories
    • Human Stories
    • Newsletters
    • Publications and Resources
    • Video Gallery
  • Get Involved
    • How to Donate
    • FAQs – Donation
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Visit Our Booths
    • Be Part of the Ukraine Response
    • Organize a fundraiser
    • Cities #WithRefugees
    • Careers
    • Internships at UNHCR
    • Warning – Fraudulent Schemes and Scams
  • Campaigns and Emergencies
    • Ukraine emergency
    • Afghanistan emergency
    • Yemen Emergency
    • Pakistan Floods Emergency
    • Severe Tropical Storm Nalgae (Paeng)
    • Super Typhoon Rai (Odette)
    • Syria Crisis: 11 Years of the Syrian War
    • Bangladesh Rohingya Emergency
    • #iBelong
Search UNHCR
Close Search
 
  • Home

UN Refugee Agency opposes UK plan to export asylum

14 Jun 2022

Following public announcements made today, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, expressed strong opposition and concerns about the United Kingdom’s plan to export its asylum obligations and urged the UK to refrain from transferring asylum seekers and refugees to Rwanda for asylum processing.

“UNHCR remains firmly opposed to arrangements that seek to transfer refugees and asylum seekers to third countries in the absence of sufficient safeguards and standards. Such arrangements simply shift asylum responsibilities, evade international obligations, and are contrary to the letter and spirit of the Refugee Convention,” said UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Gillian Triggs.

“People fleeing war, conflict and persecution deserve compassion and empathy. They should not be traded like commodities and transferred abroad for processing.”

UNHCR urged both countries to re-think the plans. It also warned that instead of deterring refugees from resorting to perilous journeys, these externalization arrangements will only magnify risks, causing refugees to seek alternative routes, and exacerbating pressures on frontline states.

While Rwanda has generously provided a safe haven to refugees fleeing conflict and persecution for decades, the majority live in camps with limited access to economic opportunities. UNHCR believes that wealthier nations must show solidarity in supporting Rwanda and the refugees it already hosts, and not the other way around.

The UK has an obligation to ensure access to asylum for those seeking protection. Those who are determined to be refugees can be integrated, while those who are not and have no other legal basis to stay, can be returned in safety and dignity to their country of origin.

Instead, the UK is adopting arrangements that abdicate responsibility to others and thus threaten the international refugee protection regime, which has stood the test of time, and saved millions of lives over the decades.

The UK has supported UNHCR’s work many times in the past and is providing important contributions that help protect refugees and support countries in conflicts such as Ukraine. However, financial support abroad for certain refugee crises cannot replace the responsibility of States and the obligation to receive asylum seekers and protect refugees on their own territory – irrespective of race, nationality and mode of arrival.

While UNHCR recognizes the challenges posed by forced displacement, developed countries are host to only a fraction of the world’s refugees and are well resourced to manage claims for asylum in a humane, fair and efficient manner.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

 

  • Who we are
  • What We Do
  • Where We Work
  • Media Centre
  • Get Involved
  • Campaigns

© UNHCR 2001-2023

  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Notice
  • Careers
  • Internships at UNHCR
  • Contact Us
  • Get Involved
  • Follow