UK: Abandon Rwanda Asylum Transfer Plan
www.hrw.org
Rwandan authorities and their proxies are using violence, judicial mechanisms, and intimidation to try to silence criticism from Rwandans living around the world. The abuses, which have fostered a climate of fear and self-censorship, are being brought to light as the United Kingdom government is at the Supreme Court appealing the judgment that its plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful.

In the 115-page report, “‘Join Us or Die’: Rwanda’s Extraterritorial Repression,” Human Rights Watch documents a wide array of tactics that, when used together, form a global ecosystem of repression aimed at muzzling dissenting voices and intimidating actual, perceived, or potential critics, including Rwandans who have sought international protection.

The combination of physical violence, including killings and enforced disappearances, surveillance, misuse of law enforcement – both domestic and international – abuses against relatives in Rwanda, and damaging people’s reputation through online harassment constitute clear efforts to isolate potential critics.

The report is here (pdf, 115 pages): https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media_2023/10/rwanda1023_web_2.pdf