‘I feel dehumanised’: Former asylum seeker hits back at Suella Braverman’s Rwanda design joke

A former asylum seeker has said he felt “dehumanised” by the Home Secretary’s joke about interior design made while touring prospective homes for those facing deportation to Rwanda.

Suella Braverman received backlash after being pictured laughing while touring the estate in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, and jokingly asking for the name of the interior designer who fashioned the houses.

The UK-Rwanda deal, agreed in April 2022, would see people who claimed asylum in Britain deported to the central African nation to have their application processed, and if successful be settled there – but no one has yet made the trip as the plan has come up against legal challenges.

Gee Manoharan, who has been detained in two immigration detention centers while going through the UK’s immigration system himself, called for public officials to “recognise the gravity of the situation and show empathy towards those who are seeking refuge”.

He now works for the Association of Visitors to Immigration Detainees (Avid), a network of voluntary organisations supporting people in immigration detention.

Mr Manoharan, 31, described the Home Secretary’s behaviour while touring the Rwanda homes as “deeply troubling”, saying that trivialising the situation “undermines the humanity of these individuals, many of whom will be survivors of modern slavery, trafficking or torture”.

The Government has claimed that the modern slavery system is being “gamed” and its new Illegal Migration Bill will clamp down on abuse. Under the Bill, anyone who comes into Britain via illegal means will not have access to the country’s anti-modern slavery laws.

Mr Manoharan said: “It is entirely inappropriate and insensitive for a public figure to make light of the struggles and challenges faced by individuals who have risked lives to seek asylum in the UK. She is laughing at the people who have lost so much and hoping to rebuild their lives elsewhere and to reconnect with family and loved ones.

“In addition, she is also laughing directly at the face of the caring people of this country with a proud history of welcoming those in need.”

As a former asylum seeker who came to the UK from Sri Lanka 11 years ago, Mr Manoharan said that laughing and joking about the issue “perpetuates a culture of disregard” for people who have been displaced from their homes.

“As someone with experience of seeking sanctuary in this country, I feel dehumanised and marginalised by the Home Secretary’s behaviour,” he told i. “I am sure others who are currently locked up indefinitely in immigration detention centres and locked away in hotels across the country feel similar to me.”

He added: “Rwanda’s asylum system is severely under-resourced, and sending people there could leave them in limbo for years. This approach is unacceptable and violates the basic human rights of those seeking asylum.”

He said the Government is right that it needs to “break the business model of people smugglers” but called for ministers to take a “comprehensive and compassionate approach to supporting people seeking sanctuary”.

This would involve addressing the root causes of why people are displaced, providing access to healthcare, legal advice, education, and employment opportunities, and ensuring that refugees are treated with dignity and respect, he added.

Tim Naor Hilton, Chief Executive of Refugee Action, said: “People’s human rights are vital and must be guaranteed for everyone – not bargained away when Ministers find them inconvenient.

“Deporting victims of torture and violence to any country is inhumane. But this grubby cash-for-people deal is with a Government that has serious questions to answer about human rights abuses.”

He called for the Government to “ditch” the Rwanda deal and the Illegal Migration Bill, saying: “Policies grounded in hostility and deterrence will always be expensive failures.”

During her trip to Rwanda, the Home Secretary said it was a “blessing” for those entering the UK illegally to be deported to the African state, with some of the homes offering off-street parking, gardens and leisure facilities.

Ms Braverman also said she is “encouraged” after “constructive” discussions between the Government and the European Court of Human Rights over possible reforms to the injunction that prevented migrant flights to Rwanda.

Asked if she believed this accommodation would still act as a deterrent, she said: “I think it’s about the balance.

“What I’m trying to illustrate and point out here is that Rwanda has a proud track record of supporting vulnerable people who have come to their country as refugees.

“They have done that through genuine investment, and care and compassion for those people.

“The purpose of pointing that out is to challenge all of the critics who portray Rwanda in an unjustifiable and an unwarranted negative way.

“I encourage all of my critics to actually visit Rwanda before they cast aspersions and throw around incredibly prejudiced and snobbish opinions about what this beautiful country has to offer.”