Hundreds gather to protest the Tories’ Rwanda plans
- Text by Ben Smoke
- Photography by Aiyush Pachnanda
Last week the government announced plans to offshore asylum claims to Rwanda in a brand new immigration deal. The deal, which was announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as Home Secretary Priti Patel was in the Rwandan capital Kigali, would see those who reach the UK via channel crossings taken to a processing centre in Yorkshire before being relocated to Rwanda.
The deal was immediately met with outrage and anger from across the political spectrum. Many have referred to it as cruel and inhumane. The Archbishop of Canterbury has referred to it as “ungodly”. Critics of the plan have pointed out the failed iteration of a similar plan signed by Israel and Rwanda, and the widespread misery, pain and horror caused by Australia’s offshoring scheme (one holding site was forced to shut down following widespread allegations of neglect, mistreatment and human rights abuses).
In protest of the plans, hundreds gathered outside the Home Office last Thursday. The crowd heard speeches from those who work in migrants rights organisations, politicians including Nadia Whittome MP, Labour member for Nottingham East, and those at the sharpest edges of the Hostile Environment. After the finishing of speeches, crowds marched through the streets of Westminster to Downing Street and on to Trafalgar Square.
Photographer Aiyush Pachnanda was there to capture the action.
Sign the petition calling on the government to cancel the Rwanda deal here.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You might like
Joe Bloom’s View From a Bridge
More stories, more human — The artist and creator of the vertical video generation’s most loved storytelling platform explains the process behind creating the show, and the importance of bucking trends.
Written by: Isaac Muk
New documentary spotlights Brixton’s community in the face of gentrification
Beyond Brix & Mortar — With property prices rising by 1,700% since the ’80s, the film explores the rich cultural history of the area’s Afro-Caribbean community, and the threat to the area’s soul.
Written by: Sydney Lobe
In photos: Euphoric joy at the UK’s biggest ever anti-racism march
Together — 500,000 people marched through central London on Saturday to protest the far right and racism, followed by a packed House Against Hate rave taking place in Trafalgar Square.
Written by: Isaac Muk
In photos: The newsagents keeping print alive
Save the stands — With Huck 83 hitting shelves around the world, we met a few people who continue to stock print magazines, defying an enduringly tough climate for physical media and the high street.
Written by: Ella Glossop
The last days of St Agnes Place, London’s longest ever running squat
Off the grid — Photographer Janine Wiedel spent four years documenting the people of the Kennington squat, who for decades made a forgotten row of terraced houses a home.
Written by: Isaac Muk
As salmon farming booms, Icelanders size up an existential threat
Seyðisfjörður — The industry has seen huge growth in recent years, with millions of fish being farmed in the Atlantic Ocean. But who benefits from its commercial success, and what does it mean for the ocean? Phil Young ventures to the remote country to find out.
Written by: Phil Young
