- The error has caused fear and upset among asylum-seekers.
- The Home Office has received criticism for similar communications sent in 2022
- The Labour Party accuses the government of being "in disarray" over the error.
Sources within the Home Office acknowledged the error, causing some asylum-seekers to believe they would soon face deportation to the East African country.
The UK parliament was debating the controversial bill solidifying an agreement with Rwanda over the deportation of rejected asylum-seekers. Sources indicated that they would dispatch follow-up letters to "clarify the situation."
This mistake adds to the series of controversies surrounding the Home Office, which received criticism for similar communications sent in 2022.
A Syrian asylum-seeker, who arrived in the UK more than 18 months ago, said: “I was in despair when I received it and have not slept for almost a week thinking about what will happen to me if I’m forced to go to Rwanda.”
Asylum cases:
Britain has fast-tracked the asylum cases and granted refugee status to other Syrians who arrived around the same time. The letter, sent to the Syrian national's lawyer, asserted that Rwanda had "agreed to accept him" as part of the migration deal with the UK.It said: “We will therefore not be admitting your client’s case to the UK system at this time.”
The British opposition Labour Party leveled accusations against the government, stating it is "in disarray" over the error. Maria Wilby, the director of Refugee, Asylum Seeker, and Migrant Action, reported that some of her clients had also received the letter.
She stated that the 2022 controversy, in which they warned asylum-seekers about potential deportation, led to one of Wilby's clients trying to take their own life.
"The letters telling people they will be sent to Rwanda have a significant impact that we cannot ignore.
“To admit these letters were a mistake does nothing to mitigate the suffering of those who received them,” Wilby said.
Duncan Lewis lawyer Ben Nelson, whose clients had also received Home Office letters, cautioned about the impact on asylum-seekers.
He said: “This correspondence negatively affects the mental health of asylum seekers and provides them no clue as to when, or even if, the UK will ever substantively consider their claims after some individuals have been waiting for 18 months without any progress in their claims.”
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