No 10 under fire over LGBT+ Rwanda advice
UK government has come under fire from LGBT+ refugee groups after it issued new travel advice for Rwanda to claim the country “does not discriminate against sexual orientation”, despite fears raised over its human rights record.
Critics of the government’s scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda have warned any refugeeswhoidentifyaslgbt+ couldbepersecutedinrwanda. The Foreign, Commonwealth anddevelopmentoffice(fcdo) now insists the Rwandan governmentdoes“notdiscriminate against sexual orientation”.
Opposition politicians accused the government of introducing the change to providecoverfortheircontroversial Rwanda asylum policy – rather thantoreflectanychangeinpolicy in the country.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s controversial Rwanda bill was passed in Westminster last month. Asylum seekers who arrive in the UK through “nonlegal” means, such as in a small boat, could be sent to Rwanda for processing and if their claim is accepted, given the right to remain there.
The official advice for travellers to the east African nation fromfcdostillstatesthatwhile consensual, same-sex acts are notillegalinrwanda,localsmay still “frown upon” them.
However,thenewupdatereassuresvisitorsthatrwanda’sconstitution “prohibits all forms of discrimination”. This is in stark contrast to previous guidance, which said LGBT+ travellers can “experience discrimination and abuse, including from local authorities” and warned Rwanda does not have any spethe
cific anti-discrimination laws that protect LGBT individuals.
Sebastian Rocca, chief executive of Micro Rainbow, said LGBT+ asylum seekers were “terrified” at the prospect of being sent to Rwanda.
He said: “Rwanda is a dangerous place for LGBT+ people. Micro Rainbow works with Rwandan LGBT+ asylum seekers who have been forced to flee to the UK to escape the persecution and discrimination they
faced. The idea that LGBT+ asylum seekers could be safely resettled in the country, which has no specific laws protecting LGBT+ people, is illogical.
“Changing the wording of the travel advice on the website does not change the facts on the ground. No laws have changed inrwandaandthehomeoffice previously acknowledged that Lgbt+peoplewerenotprotectedundertheconstitution,which remains the same. Nothing has
changed to suggest that LGBT+ peoplewillnowbesafeandprotectedthroughtheconstitution.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said the update could be regarded as a way to reinforce the government’s insistence that Rwanda wasasafecountryforallasylum seekers.
He said: “The suspicion will always be in the back of people’s minds that this travel advice is
being updated to provide cover for the government’s ridiculousrwandapolicy,ratherthan because the political situation onthegroundhaschanged.putting LGBT+ travellers at risk by sanitising the risks they could face in Rwanda would be dangerous,evenbythestandardsof this government.”
The United Nations has previously warned the UK government of the difficulties LGBT+ asylumseekersfaceinrwanda.
Rwanda is a dangerous place for LGBT+ people Sebastian Rocca