Editorial: Le Monde

• Post-World War II UK, once at the forefront in defining international norms for human rights, is facing a major regression with the passing of the 'Rwanda Safety Act'.
• This legislation declares Rwanda a 'safe country' for asylum seekers, contradicting a previous decision by the UK's Supreme Court.
• It plans for the deportation of illegal migrants to the aforementioned African country rather than allowing them to seek protection in London.
• The text of this law aims to discourage immigration and avoids appeals against deportations.
• The issue of immigration has been cynically politically instrumentalized, centered since the Brexit vote in 2016.
• The British Prime Minister is unlikely to prevent the predicted electoral failure, being associated with a costly, ineffective and counterproductive measure to human rights.
• The law might end up as a fiasco similar to Brexit, while deportations to Rwanda will not dissuade migrants seeking a better life.

Conclusion: This backslide poses a significant challenge for European democracies and their professed values, pointing out the necessity of cooperative and international management of migration rather than a unilateral and punitive approach. The issue of human rights needs to be central to the debate.

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