Britain begins detaining migrants under Rwanda’s deportation plan

British authorities began detaining migrants on Wednesday in preparation for deportation to Rwanda within the next nine to 11 weeks, according to the government. This move lays the foundation for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s key immigration policy.

Parliament passed legislation in April allowing the deportation to Rwanda of asylum seekers who arrived in Britain without permission. Sunak aims for the first flights to depart in July.

So far this year, more than 7,500 migrants have reached Britain via small boats from France. The government claims the policy will deter people from making the dangerous journey across the Channel, which claimed five lives last week.

However, human rights organizations and unions opposing the policy are preparing to initiate new legal challenges. This follows last year’s UK Supreme Court ruling which declared the policy unlawful.

The Home Office released images on Wednesday of a man being placed in a van by immigration officers and another being led out of his home in handcuffs.

“Our dedicated enforcement teams are working hard to quickly arrest those who have no right to be here so we can get flights off the ground,” said Home Secretary James Cleverly.

Care4Calais, a refugee charity, said the detentions began on Monday. A spokesperson for the group said its helpline had received calls from “dozens of people,” but details of who would be on the first deportation flight and its timing remain unclear.

In a related development, The Sun Newspaper reported on Tuesday that Britain had sent its first asylum seeker to Rwanda under a voluntary scheme, separate from the deportation policy.

“People are very scared,” said Natasha Tsangarides, Associate Director of Advocacy at Freedom from Torture. She expressed concern that fear of detention and deportation to Rwanda could drive some individuals to disappear and disconnect from their support networks.