Borders & Belonging

The Conversation Weekly: The Brexit roots of the UK's Rwanda asylum plan – and why other EU leaders might want to copy it

June 27, 2024 CERC Migration

A controversial British government plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has been central to the UK’s response to a recent sharp increase in the number of people making the dangerous journey across the English Channel in small boats. But if the Conservative party loses the general election in early July, the Rwanda plan is likely to be abandoned. In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast, two experts in UK immigration policy explain how the Rwanda plan became such a crucial part of the immigration debate in the UK. And how, whatever happens in the election, it’s already shifting the wider conversation in Europe about how to deal with migrants and asylum seekers.

Guests: Nando Sigona, University of Birmingham; Michaela Benson, Lancaster University; Avery Anapol, The Conversation. Hosted by: Gemma Ware, The Conversation.