The UK's exportation of asylum obligations to Rwanda: a challenge to mental health, ethics and the law.

Sen, Piyal; Crowley, Grace; Arnell, Paul; Katona, Cornelius; Pillay, Mishka; Waterman, Lauren Z.; Forrester, Andrew

Abstract

The United Kingdom government has made a concerted decision to ramp up its 'hostile environment' policy towards asylum seekers and refugees. The original policy took the form of 'a package of measures designed to make life so difficult for individuals without permission to remain in the UK that they will not seek to enter the UK to begin with or if already present will leave voluntarily'. The Nationality and Borders Act provides a new legislative framework for issues relating to nationality, asylum and immigration which makes asylum claims less likely to succeed and limits the rights available to many of those whose claims are successful. Critics of the policy have raised serious moral and ethical concerns relevant to both health and legal professionals. In addition, it appears that it will fail to deter those planning to make risky journeys to the UK for protection, as the government has argued in justification.

Citation

SEN, P., CROWLEY, G., ARNELL, P., KATONA, C., PILLAY, M., WATERMAN, L.Z. and FORRESTER, A. 2022. The UK's exportation of asylum obligations to Rwanda: a challenge to mental health, ethics and the law. Medicine, science and the law, 62(3), pages 165-167. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/00258024221104163

• Journal Article Type: Editorial
• Acceptance Date: Jun 14, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Jun 14, 2022
• Publication Date: Jul 31, 2022
• Deposit Date: Jun 21, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 21, 2022
• Journal: Medicine, Science and the Law
• Print ISSN: 0025-8024
• Electronic ISSN: 2042-1818
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 62
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 165-167
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00258024221104163
• Keywords: Asylum seekers; Refugees; Policy; United Kingdom; Rwanda; Legislation
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1694724