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Rwanda confirms it has agreed to host UK asylum seekers

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Rwanda confirms it has agreed to host UK asylum seekers

The federal government of Rwanda on Thursday confirmed that it had signed a “daring new partnership” with the UK below which some folks searching for refugee safety in Britain shall be transferred to the central African nation whereas awaiting processing.

The announcement comes forward of a speech wherein Prime Minister Boris Johnson will pledge to sort out clandestine migration, notably in small boats throughout the English Channel, which has been seen as a big political drawback for his authorities.

Ministers may also announce plans for a brand new multimillion-pound processing centre at RAF Linton, a base in North Yorkshire, in an acknowledgment that not all asylum seekers shall be despatched 4,000 miles away.

Nevertheless, the Rwanda deal, which has echoes of Australia’s coverage of holding clandestine migrants in offshore processing centres, will trigger vital controversy due to the human rights implications of eradicating folks searching for asylum.

Rwanda stated it will obtain an “upfront funding” of £120mn below the deal, which might “fund alternatives for Rwandans and migrants”, together with secondary {qualifications}, vocational and abilities coaching, language classes, and better schooling.

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The deal represents the most recent effort by the UK below dwelling secretary Priti Patel to discourage irregular migration by decreasing the rights of those that breach immigration legislation to succeed in the UK. It’s anticipated to result in the switch of 1000’s of would-be migrants to the east African nation.

The UK detected 28,526 folks arriving within the UK by way of small boats in 2021, a document for peace time. In November, 27 would-be refugees drowned when their boat foundered off the coast of France.

Powers to course of migrants abroad are contained within the nationality and borders invoice making its manner by means of parliament.

Proposals to course of asylum seekers abroad have prompted controversy as a result of they contradict longstanding interpretations of the UK’s obligations below the 1951 UN Refugee Conference. This has been seen as obliging nations to not penalise individuals who breach immigration legislation to succeed in their nation to make an asylum software.

UNHCR, the UN refugee company, stated on Thursday that it couldn’t touch upon the deal however burdened that it “doesn’t help the externalisation of asylum states’ obligations”.

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“This contains measures taken by states to switch asylum-seekers and refugees to different nations, with inadequate safeguards to guard their rights, or the place this results in the shifting relatively than the sharing of obligations to guard refugees,” it added.

Kigali known as the deal, signed between Patel and Rwandan international minister Vincent Biruta, the Rwanda-UK Migration and Financial Improvement Partnership. Rwanda stated the settlement would tackle the “pressing humanitarian disaster” of widespread clandestine migration flows “by tackling its root”.

“By relocating migrants to Rwanda and investing in private growth and employment for migrants, our nations are taking daring steps to deal with the imbalance in world alternatives which drives unlawful migration, whereas dismantling the inducement buildings which empower prison gangs and endanger harmless lives,” Rwanda stated. “The partnership will disrupt the enterprise mannequin of organised crime gangs and deter migrants from placing their lives in danger.

“Migrants shall be built-in into communities throughout the nation” and be entitled to “full safety” below native legislation, equal entry to employment, and enrolment in healthcare and social care providers, it added.

Rwanda has a practice of welcoming refugees, and presently hosts about 130,000, primarily from neighbouring Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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Simon Hart, Welsh secretary, informed Sky Information that Rwanda was an “up and coming economic system” that had “an excellent document with migrants”.

“It’s an association which I believe fits each nations very nicely and supplies the very best alternatives for financial migrants, for many who have been within the forefront of this explicit appalling drawback for therefore lengthy now,” he stated. “I believe that this association has the potential to be a extremely good step ahead and a extremely humane step ahead.”

The deal was strongly criticised by the UK opposition and teams working with refugees.

Yvette Cooper, the shadow dwelling secretary, described the proposal as “a determined and shameful . . . try to distract from his personal legislation breaking”, referring to the “partygate” scandal.

“It’s an unworkable, unethical and extortionate coverage that will price the UK taxpayer billions of kilos throughout a value of dwelling disaster and would make it more durable not simpler to get quick and honest asylum selections,” she added.

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Tim Naor Hilton, chief govt of Refugee Motion, a charity, known as the deal a “grubby cash-for-people plan”, which he stated could be a “cowardly, barbaric and inhumane manner” to deal with folks fleeing persecution and warfare.

“Our so-called ‘International Britain’ is offshoring its obligations on to Europe’s former colonies as an alternative of doing our justifiable share to assist a few of the most susceptible folks on the planet,” Naor Hilton stated.

The plan may also come below scrutiny as a result of it entails the UK sending asylum seekers to a rustic whose human rights document has been a topic of intense controversy. In July final 12 months, Rita French, the UK’s worldwide ambassador for human rights, criticised Rwanda’s document in a speech to the UN Human Rights Council.

Human rights activists additionally criticise Paul Kagame, the Rwandan president, for brooking little political dissent. He gained the 2017 presidential election with 98.6 per cent of the vote.

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Donald Trump revokes security clearance for Joe Biden

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Donald Trump revokes security clearance for Joe Biden

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US President Donald Trump has revoked Joe Biden’s security clearance, barring his predecessor from receiving daily intelligence briefings as he continues a political revenge campaign throughout Washington.

“There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information. Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday.

The president’s move was payback for when Biden pulled Trump’s security clearance in the wake of the January 6 attack on the Capitol: “He set this precedent in 2021,” Trump said.

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The revocation was the latest in a campaign of retribution from Trump, which began hours after he was sworn in a second time. He has already revoked the security clearance and protective detail for John Bolton, his former national security adviser who has become one his harshest critics.

He cancelled protection for Anthony Fauci, the immunologist who spearheaded the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and for former secretary of state Mike Pompeo.

Biden’s secret service protection is still in place.

Trump campaigned on promises to go after his political enemies in government, with his vendetta extending to the intelligence community and law enforcement. Earlier this week, FBI agents sued the Trump administration to prevent it from publicly naming staff involved in a probe into the January 6 Capitol attack in 2021, which sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

“Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponised to persecute political opponents,” he said in his second inaugural address.

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On his first night in office, he signed an executive order on the “weaponisation” of government, authorising sweeping reviews of US intelligence and other agencies to rectify “past misconduct” through “appropriate action”.

For taking away Biden’s clearance, Trump cited the politically damaging 2024 report by Robert Hur, the justice department special counsel who said Biden was a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory”.

“The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information,” Trump said. “I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

As a courtesy, former presidents traditionally continue receiving daily intelligence briefings, which can include classified information.

There was no immediate response from Biden. 

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Trump says he is revoking Biden's security clearances

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Trump says he is revoking Biden's security clearances

President Trump delivers remarks in the Oval Office on Friday. In a posting on his Truth Social site, Trump said he was revoking former President Joe Biden’s security clearances.

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President Trump says he is “immediately revoking” former President Joe Biden’s security clearances — access that Biden stripped from Trump four years ago.

Former presidents are historically given intelligence briefings after leaving office. In 2021, Biden revoked Trump’s access just weeks after being sworn in, arguing Trump exhibited “erratic behavior.”

Now, Trump appears to be repeating the move.

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In a post Friday on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Biden “set this precedent” by taking away his clearances shortly after Trump left office.

Trump criticized the former president’s cognitive ability and referenced a report by special counsel Robert Hur that described Biden as having a “poor memory.” Biden was investigated by Hur for his alleged mishandling of classified materials after he left the vice presidency, but prosecutors ultimately determined that charges were not warranted.

“The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information,” Trump said on Truth Social. “I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED.”

A spokesperson for the former president could not be immediately reached for comment.

“What value is giving him an intelligence briefing?” Biden said in an interview with CBS News four years ago. “What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?”

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Trump’s decision to revoke Biden’s access follows similar moves taken by the administration against past critics of the president. Last week, the Pentagon revoked retired Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley’s security detail and suspended his clearance. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Adviser John Bolton have also had their security details removed by Trump.

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Accenture ditches diversity and inclusion goals

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Accenture ditches diversity and inclusion goals

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Accenture has scrapped its global diversity and inclusion goals after an “evaluation” of the US political landscape, becoming the latest big company to ditch its targets since the election of Donald Trump.

A memo to staff from chief executive Julie Sweet said the New York-listed consulting group would begin “sunsetting” its diversity goals set in 2017, as well as career development programmes for “people of specific demographic groups”.

Sweet said in the memo that the change followed an “evaluation of our internal policies and practices and the evolving landscape in the United States, including recent Executive Orders with which we must comply”.

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Accenture, which employs 799,000 people around the world, joins Meta, McDonald’s and Target in ditching diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals in response to the new political climate since Trump’s election.

The US president has been highly critical of what he calls the “absolute nonsense” of “discriminatory” diversity, equity and inclusion measures.

He signed a series of executive orders cutting federal DEI programmes when he came into office last month, tapping into a vein of corporate fatigue for diversity goals.

Other companies, such as Costco and JPMorgan Chase, have reaffirmed their commitment while some are reassessing their inclusion policies for the Trump era.

In 2017, Accenture set a target that half its staff would be women by the end of 2025. It also set a goal for 25 per cent of its managing directors to be women by 2020, a target it later updated to 30 per cent by 2025. At the time, 41 per cent of its employees and 21 per cent of managing directors were women.

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The group also set itself goals for ethnic minority representation in its workforce in the US, UK and South Africa.

As well as rolling back the targets, which Sweet said would no longer be used to measure staff performance, Accenture would no longer submit data to external diversity benchmarking surveys.

The group would also “evaluate” external partnerships on the topic “as part of refreshing our talent strategy”, she added.

Accenture declined to comment.

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