With plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, the Conservative party has drawn criticism from Labour, who have vowed to abolish the policy if elected. However, the intricacies of how to manage those who refuse to go have been kept under wraps. BBC News has been granted access to a secret training facility to observe the specialist instruction given to staff.
At this location, hundreds of staff are being taught how to handle those who refuse to board a plane to Rwanda. During the course, officers are shown how to deal with non-compliant detainees, including handcuffing and restraint techniques. However, it is clear from detainee accounts that the prospect of being removed to Rwanda is causing significant distress, particularly among those who have suffered from torture, trafficking, or mental health conditions.
The Conservatives have long claimed that the policy will help them stop the boats by threatening illegal immigrants with removal to Rwanda, where they would claim asylum. But the Labour party is set to stop the scheme dead in its tracks if it wins the election. In the meantime, the government has rented a training facility to train hundreds of new and existing staff, with the expectation that it might need to remove around 2,000 individuals.
The use of force in the immigration system has sometimes been deemed unreasonable in the past, resulting in the unnecessary deaths of detained individuals. There is a potential for further abuse if the government follows through with its plans and sends detainees to Rwanda. Critics argue that detainee non-compliance is a natural reaction to the prospect of being removed to a foreign country, leading to further force being used.
It is likely that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will have to fight the election without a single flight having taken off to Rwanda. However, if the Conservatives do stay in government, the government will attempt to send individuals to Rwanda to reduce the burden of asylum seekers in the UK. Ultimately, the voters will decide whether the policy will go ahead
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