London: British authorities have commenced the detention of migrants as part of preparations to send them to Rwanda within the next nine to 11 weeks, announced the government on Wednesday, advancing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's flagship immigration policy.
A law facilitating the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda, if they arrived in Britain without permission, was ratified by parliament in April, with Sunak aiming for the first flights to depart in July.
The move comes in response to more than 7,500 migrants arriving in England on small boats from France this year, with the government asserting that the policy will deter individuals from undertaking perilous journeys across the Channel, where five people lost their lives last week.
Human rights charities and unions opposed to the policy are expected to mount fresh legal challenges to prevent the flights from proceeding, following the UK Supreme Court's ruling last year declaring the policy unlawful.
Images released by Britain's interior ministry depicted a man being escorted into a van by immigration enforcement officials, while another was led out of his residence in handcuffs.
"Our dedicated enforcement teams are working at pace to swiftly detain those who have no right to be here so we can get flights off the ground," stated Interior Minister James Cleverly.
According to refugee charity Care4Calais, the detentions commenced on Monday, with the organization's helpline receiving numerous calls. However, details regarding the individuals earmarked for the first deportation flight and its schedule remain undisclosed.
Natasha Tsangarides, Associate Director of Advocacy at the charity Freedom from Torture, expressed concern that the fear of being detained and deported to Rwanda would drive some individuals to go underground and disengage from their support network.
Earlier reports indicated that Britain had sent its first asylum seeker to Rwanda under a voluntary scheme, separate from the deportation policy.