On World Refugee Day, we stand in condemnation of the government’s disturbing Rwanda scheme
Letters to the editor: our readers share their views. Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk
Leaders from across the globe are preparing for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that starts in Rwanda today – World Refugee Day. Yet, in a contradiction to the vision of “a Commonwealth that is mutually respectful, resilient, peaceful and prosperous and that cherishes equality, diversity and shared values”, the UK government persists with its plan to send asylum seekers and refugees on a one-way flight to the same African state.
This disturbing new scheme sends those seeking safety in the UK to Rwanda in exchange for cash, and targets people simply because of how they arrived here, irrespective of their need for protection. Britain is not only flouting international law, but it is failing to protect its share of people fleeing other countries from around the world.
Rather than this outdated and offensive stance, Britain must step up as a leader, take responsibility and end this shameful scheme. We must instead open safe routes for asylum seekers and refugees to find protection in the UK and build a fair and orderly system.
Amanda Church-Mcfarlane, Co-CEO of Abigail Housing
Waad al-Kateab, Co-founder of Action For Sama
Duncan McAuley, CEO of Action Foundation
Liz Windsor-Welsh, CEO of Action Together CIO
Fahim Zazai, Manager of Afghan Community and Welfare Centre
Chizobam Obumneme Ekenna, General manager of African Community Centre
Aderonke Apata, Founder and CEO of African Rainbow Family
Imogen McIntosh, Director of Aid Box Community
Graeme Hodge, CEO of All We Can
Frances Walker, Head of English at Archway Learning Trust
Salma Zulfiqar, Founder and director of ARTconnects
Ewan James Roberts, Centre manager of Asylum Link Merseyside
Doreen Hengari, Director at Asylum Seekers And Refugee Support Sanctuary
Mark Goldring, Director at Asylum Welcome
Sarah Magill, Director and trustee of Azadi Charity
Revd. Lynn Green, General secretary of Baptist Union of Great Britain
Claire Clift, Chair of trustees of Bath Welcomes Refugees
Fiona Vale, Service manager of Basic Educational Guidance in Nottinghamshire
Evie Booton, Communications and campaigns coordinator of Big Leaf Foundation
Dr David Brown, Chair of Birmingham City of Sanctuary
Nicole Port Louis, Teacher of physics at Bluecoat Academy
Ivana Mancic, EAL academic coach at Bluecoat Aspley Academy
Andrew Wyatt, Lead teacher of mathematics at Bluecoat Wollaton Academy
Ros Holland, CEO of Boaz Trust
Amanda Mortimer, Volunteer at Bradford Immigration & Asylum Support & Advice Network
Matthew Powell, CEO of Breaking Barriers
Beth Wilson, CEO of Bristol Refugee Rights
Yvonne Rendell, Chair of Bromsgrove and Redditch Welcome Refugees
Mary Stretch, Director of Calais Light
Amber Ray, Communications specialist at Calderdale Valley of Sanctuary
Catharine Walston, Chair of executive at Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action Group
Catharine Walston, Trustee at Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign
Dr Mohamed Ali, Chair of Canterbury Muslim Cultural Centre
Eleanor Brown, CEO of CARAS
Clare Moseley, Founder of Care4Calais
James Cartwright, Chair of Carlisle Refugee Action Group
Rachel Lesiter, Chorleywood4Refugees
Joanna Schüder, Refugee networking officer at Christian Concern for One World
Most Reverend Andrew John, Archbishop of Wales
Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the general assembly, Church of Scotland
Bishop Mike Royal, General secretary of Churches Together in England
Rachel Hattingh, Members manager of Citizens of the World Choir
Thomas Martin, Director of City of Sanctuary Sheffield
Stella Barnes, Creative director of Community Arts North West
Colette Batten-Turner, Founding executive director of Conversation Over Borders
Almir Koldzic, Director of Counterpoints Arts
Laura Marziale, Founder and director of Creating Ground
Sally Hyman, Founder and trustee of CRIBS International
Patrick Coyle, Chair of the board at Cytûn Churches Together in Wales
Riana Brown, Group communications manager at Daughters of Charity Services
Jonathan Ellis, Project director at Detention Forum
Bishop John Arnold, Diocese of Salford
Jan Foster, Trustee of Doncaster Conversation Club
Jeannie Tweedie, Director of Elmbridge CAN
Stephanie Habib, Project development manager at English for Action London
Awder Ahmed, Share Tawe project officer at Ethnic Minorities and Youth Support Team Wales
Trish Chipman, Committee member at Farnham Help for Refugees
Dr Valerie Jeffries, Trustee at Faversham and Villages Refugee Solidarity Group
Maire Greaney, Secretary and trustee at Flintshire City of Sanctuary
Amber Bauer, CEO of ForRefugees
Sonya Sceats, CEO of Freedom From Torture
Elizabeth Slade, Chief officer of General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
Naomi Webb, Executive director of Good Chance Theatre
Richard Hargreaves, Editor at Grassington and District Peace Group
Denise McDowell, CEO of Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU)
Caroline Burnett, Founder of Guildford Refugee Aid
Polly Gifford, Co-chair of Hastings Community of Sanctuary
Jane Grimshaw, Convener at Hastings Supports Refugees
Ailsa Dunn, Secretary of Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees
Angus Clark, CEO of Herts for Refugees
Roger Wilson, Trustee of Hope and Aid Direct
Philip Howell, Drop in leader of Hope Cafe Refugee Drop In
Phil Davis, Director of Hope Projects
John Weaving, Member of the human race
Yasmine Ahmed, UK director at Human Rights Watch
Maddie Harris, Director of Humans for Rights Network
Mary Solomon, Chair of Humans of Wolverhampton (HOW)
Nicole Francis, CEO of Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association
Laura Kyrke-Smith, UK executive director of International Rescue Committee
Sophie Cartwright, Senior policy officer at Jesuit Refugee Service UK
Aaron Barbour, CEO of Katherine Low Settlement
Jo Taylor, Chair of Kent Kindness
Brad Collier, Director of Larner Associates
Rose McCarthy, Volunteer at Leeds City of Sanctuary
Jean Gould, Trustee of Lewes Organisation in Support of Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Rosario Guimba-Stewart, CEO of Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network
Rabbi Charley Baginsky, CEO of Liberal Judaism
Paul Streets, CEO of Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales
Mariam Yusuf, Management committee member at Manchester Migrant Solidarity
Alexander Leeson Francis-Palmer, General advice coordinator at Manchester Refugee Support Network
Nicola Monk, Trustee of Marlow Refugee Action
Jonathan Wttenberg, Senior Rabbi at Masorti Judaism
maureen sier, Director of Maureen Sier
Nina Houghton, group member of Merseyside Solidarity Knows no Borders
Revd. Ian Rutherford, City centre minister at Methodist Central Hall Manchester
Revd. Sonia Hicks, President of the conference of Methodist Church in Britain
Nazek Ramadan, Executive director of Migrant Voice
Frank Kamau, Manager of Mojatu Foundation
Lis Murphy, Creative director and founder of Music Action International
Zara Mohammed, Secretary-general of Muslim Council of Britain
Bridget Young, Director of The No Accommodation Network
Lord (Indarjit) Singh of Wimbledon, Director Network of Sikh Organisations UK, Network of Sikh Organisations UK
Rachel McPeake, Project administrator at North East Law Centre
Mishka Pillay, One Strong Voice
Marian Pallister, Chair of Pax Christi Scotland
Rose Caldwell, CEO of Plan International UK
Natalia Byer, Programme manager at Polish Migrants Organise for Change
Josephine Whitaker-Yilmaz, Policy and public affairs manager of Praxis
Meirion Morris, General secretary of Presbyterian Church of Wales
Dawn Judd, Chair of Preston City of Sanctuary
Paul Parker, Recording clerk at Quakers in Britain
Elizabeth Allen, Clerk of General Meeting for Scotland, Quakers in Scotland
Jabeer Butt OBE, CEO of Race Equality Foundation
Anna Jones , Co-founder and CEO of RefuAid
Tim Naor Hilton, CEO of Refugee Action
Sarah Fenby-Dixon, Trustee of Refugee Aid Network
Nathan Sperry, Operations manager at Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex & London
Ruhi Akhtar, Chairperson of Refugee Biriyani & Bananas
Rich Snaith, Treasurer of Refugee Compassion
Enver Solomon, CEO of Refugee Council
Efi Stathopoulou, Programmes manager at Refugee Legal Support
Nick Harborne, CEO of Refugee Support Group and Reading City of Sanctuary
Jonny Willis, CEO of Refugee Youth Service
Mia Hasenson-Gross, Executive director at René Cassin the Jewish voice for human rights
Jeremy Thompson, Manager at Restore – a project of Birmingham Churches Together
Haytham Alhamwi, Manager at Rethink Rebuild Society
Eiri Ohtani, Director of Right to Remain
M.H.Khan, Founder and CEO of Rohingya Youths for Society Change-RYSC
Daisy Jacobs, Co-Founder and director of Routes
Beth Gardiner-Smith, CEO of Safe Passage International
Gwen Hines, CEO of Save the Children
Karen Dobson, CEO of Scotswood Garden
Bishop Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness, and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Scottish Episcopal Church
Sabir Zazai, CEO of Scottish Refugee Council
Angie Pedley, Treasurer of Settle Area Refugee Support group
Chris Hix, Trustee of Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees
Margaret Roche, Manager at Share Knowsley
Liz Morgan, Trustee/treasurer of Side by Side Refugees
Ruth Cape, Development manager of South East Integration Network
Nikki Walters, Chair of Southampton Action
Mark Courtice, Chair of the Trustees at Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group
Liz Needham, Chair of Trustees at St Albans for Refugees
Abigail Martin, Manager at St Chad’s Sanctuary
Maja Moller, Coordinator of St Thomas Church Asylum Seeker and Refugee Support Network Lancaster
Amber Ray, Communications manager of St. Augustine’s Centre Halifax
Bernadette McAliskey, Coordinator at South Tyrone Empowerment Programme
Sandra J Morton, Chair of Swansea Asylum Seekers Support
Kathryn Williams, Secretary of Swansea City of Sanctuary
Nicola Wood, Charity manager of Swindon City of Sanctuary
Revd Louis James Johnson, Assistant curate at Team Parish of St Luke in the City, Diocese of Liverpool
Satinder Collins, Chair of Tees Valley of Sanctuary
Anna Lagoyianni, Volunteer coordinator at The Greenhouse Multicultural Arts and Play Project
Elaine Ortiz, Founder-director of The Hummingbird Project
Dr Edie Friedman, Executive director of The Jewish Council for Racial Equality (JCORE)
Barbara Easton, Vice-president of The Methodist Church in Britain
Revd S M Slaney, Chair of District at The Methodist Church in Scotland
Bethany, Head of Music at The Nottingham Emmanuel School
Iris Lightfoote, CEO of The Race Equality Centre
Nicolas Hatton, CEO of the3million
Sue Lacey, Founder of Together100
Archie Ford, Moderator of United Free Church of Scotland
Revd Clare Downing, Moderator of General Assembly at the United Reformed Church
Dr Moira Dustin, Lecturer at the University of Sussex
Mel Steel, Director of Voices in Exile
Sonja Miley, Co-executive director of Waging Peace
Florence Andrews, Co-chair of Wandsworth Welcomes Refugees
Emily Shepherd and Sue Butler, Joint CEOs of Welcome Churches
Mr Andrew Harwood, Project manager at Welcome Group Halesowen
Susie Ventris-Field, CEO of Welsh Centre for International Affairs
Andrea Cleaver, CEO of Welsh Refugee Council
Hannah Barnes, Director of West End Refugee Service
Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director of Women’s Budget Group
Rachel Kelly, CEO of Women’s Health Matters
Paul Anticoni, CEO of World Jewish Relief
Jo Cobley, CEO of Young Roots
Support the rail strikes
Transport minister Grant Shapps has condemned the upcoming strikes by the RMT union on the grounds their actions will “punish millions of innocent people”. Shapps is being territorial. He probably sees punishing “millions of innocent people” as the exclusive job of the Tory government.
Actually, the RMT is doing what job unions were founded to do – protecting the terms and conditions of their members. They are taking industrial action to ensure the wages of their members keep pace with 11 per cent inflation.
All workers should support them and follow their example.
Sasha Simic
London
Vote of no confidence
I refer to Liam James’ informative article in yesterday’s edition. It is reported that the pamphlets distributed by Tory by-election candidates Helen Hurford and Nadeem Ahmed in support of their candidacy omit reference to their prime minister, Boris Johnson.
This might fairly be construed as a clear vote of no confidence by prospective MPs riding into action in two important by-elections on a Tory ticket. They appear not only to have no confidence in Johnson but, by implication at least, very little in the party they purport to represent.
As things stand their successful election seems unlikely. If elected, it would appear that presently disaffected Tory MPs should feel able to rely on their support in any future vote of no confidence in their prime minister.
David Nelmes
Newport
The PM in hiding
Wouldn’t it be just great to know where Boris Johnson plans to hide out on Friday after the almost certainly disastrous by-elections on Thursday?
He certainly cannot go back to Ukraine already; the Queen is hardly likely to let him use Sandringham or Windsor; Dublin and the rest of the EU are not realistic options either!
Rwanda glad-handing anyone?
Robert Boston
Kingshill
Tory incompetence
I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments expressed in your letter page yesterday regarding the endless self-serving stunts of the PM and his sycophants.
What worries me more is their incompetence. On Saturday, my seven-year-old grandson became unwell. His mother treated his temperature, but at about 4pm he said his chest hurt and his little heart was racing. She called 999, but was advised to take him to hospital. They were booked in, eventually triaged and sent home after two hours. The consultant did not want to see him. He still had a temperature and said his chest hurt.
Then the hospital rang to say the out-of-hours GP wanted to see him. Another wait for a phone call – the appointment was for 9.15pm.
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Luckily for us, he was declared fine. He is asthmatic so any respiratory illness is a worry. All this could have been resolved at the earlier visit. This story has a happy outcome – not all calls to 999 end this way.
I am 68 – I remember Thatcher’s Britain, raised my daughter on benefits in the Eighties when being a single mother (albeit a professional, divorced woman) was a dirty word. I remember the poverty, the lack of hope, the despair. Now a WASPI pensioner, I feel the same dread as prices rise and frustration mounts. This government has no ideas, no empathy, and no morals.
Name withheld
Cheltenham
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