The UK government confirmed today it has detained an unspecified number of migrants in recent days who are set to be deported to Rwanda in July under its controversial new policy.
It comes a week after lawmakers ended months of parliamentary wrangling and passed a contentious law allowing some asylum seekers to be deported by declaring Rwanda to be a safe third country.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has vowed to stop migrants arriving on small boats from mainland Europe, vowed last week to begin detaining people promptly before deportation flights start within “10 to 12 weeks”.
Calling it “another major milestone” in the Rwanda plan, the ministry released photographs and a video of immigration enforcement officers detaining several migrants at different residences.
They were seen being led away in handcuffs and put into secure vehicles