Revealed: How UK attempted to set up asylum camp in Tanzania
People believed to be migrants walk in Dungeness, Britain on August 16, 2023. PHOTO | REUTERS
What you need to know:
- The scheme was part of a broader push by the UK government to manage immigration more effectively
Dar es Salaam. The British government in 2004 proposed a controversial plan to establish an asylum seeker camp in Tanzania, newly released government files have revealed, reports The Guardian.
The proposal, under Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government, involved discussions on a pilot programme aimed at diverting asylum seekers to Tanzania.
The UK government files disclose that £2 million (Sh6 billion) from the African Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP) was to be allocated to fund the construction of the camp, where individuals claiming to be Somali refugees would have their asylum applications processed.
Officials at Tanzania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs are yet to confirm or deny the reports, which occurred towards the end of President Benjamin Mkapa’s administration.
The scheme was part of a broader push by the UK government to manage immigration more effectively, addressing the increasing number of asylum seekers arriving in the country.
The documents suggest that the UK government offered Tanzania an additional £4 million (Sh12 billion) in aid if it agreed to host the asylum seekers.
Hilary Benn, then International Development Secretary, wrote to Home Secretary David Blunkett in January 2004, stating that the migration partnership with Tanzania was “off the ground.”
Benn proposed transferring £2 million from the ACPP to the Home Office budget to expedite the project.
Despite initial backing, the plan faced substantial opposition both in the UK and internationally.
Some UK officials raised concerns about diverting ACPP funds, which were intended to prevent conflict in Africa.
The idea of outsourcing asylum processing to Tanzania also drew heavy criticism, both within Tanzania and from the European Union, with some likening the proposal to concentration camps.
In April 2004, the Home Office officially confirmed that it had abandoned the controversial plan to create “transit processing centres” in East Africa for asylum seekers.
The proposal had been viewed by many as a politically motivated effort to make Britain’s borders appear more secure.
Fast forward to recent years, and the concept of processing asylum claims outside the UK has resurfaced, with the British government reviving a similar plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
While the details differ, the central objective remains the same: managing the flow of migrants and asylum seekers by relocating them to a third country while their applications are processed.
The revived Rwanda plan, like the 2004 Tanzania proposal, has ignited significant debate.
Critics argue that the plan could infringe on human rights, while supporters contend that it is a necessary measure to secure the UK’s borders.
This renewed push serves as a reminder of the challenges and complexities surrounding the issue of migration, with historical proposals like the Tanzania camp still casting a long shadow over current policies.
