More than a dozen asylum seekers being housed at an immigration removal centre near Gatwick airport reportedly went on hunger strike after the Home Office threatened them with deportation to Rwanda.
Seventeen people from Syria, Egypt and Sudan are said to have taken part in the protest after they were told they would be sent to the central African nation as part of the UK government’s new agreement to “offshore” the asylum process.
The group, some of whom said they had begun to self-harm as a result of their imminent removal, were reportedly warned that taking part in the hunger strike could lead to them being “prioritised” for a flight to Rwanda.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has said she is “absolutely determined” that the UK will send migrants to Rwanda despite the prospect of legal challenges being mounted by human rights groups.
Earlier this month the Home Office started issuing “notices of intent”, informing some individuals they were “in scope for relocation”.
The removal directions confirm to people they are being sent to Rwanda, and when, with the first flight expected to depart on 14 June.
But those among the group of 17, who ended their five-day hunger strike on Wednesday, said they would rather “die” than be placed on deportation flights.
A Syrian man wanted for military service told the BBC that when he heard he was due to be flown to Rwanda he started hitting himself.
He said he was “ready to die, but not be moved to Rwanda”.
Priti Patel signing the deportation agreement in Rwanda
Reports said another was told they should “eat so you can get on the aeroplane in good health”, while one was informed that their protest risked speeding up their deportation.
“Your refusal of food and/or fluids will not necessarily lead to your removal directions being deferred. In the interests of your health and safety we may prioritise your removal from detention and the UK,” a letter reportedly sent to the group, and seen by The Guardian, said.
A Home Office spokesperson said the “health and welfare of those in immigration detention is of the utmost importance” and said they took “every step to prevent self-harm or suicide, including a dedicated welfare team on site at each immigration removal centre, responsible for identifying vulnerable individuals and providing assistance to support individuals’ needs”.
