TEHRAN -- Iran has censured a plan by the UK to forcefully transfer asylum seekers to the East African nation of Rwanda, calling it a breach of international commitments and responsibilities.
London’s decision is contrary to the spirit and text of the convention on asylum seekers, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, noting that the move “entirely neglects human and ethical considerations”.
He said the treatment of refugees like commodities, violently or contemptuously is “contrary to human honor”.
Khatibzadeh said the UK and other Western nations have always tried to overlook Iran’s hospitality in hosting millions of refugees for decades.
Britain has come under harsh criticism over its plan to send refugees and asylum-seekers thousands of miles away to Rwanda.
London announced on Thursday a deal with Rwanda to send asylum-seekers to the African country, claiming that the measure would stop human-smugglers from sending desperate migrants on treacherous journeys across the English Channel.
In announcing the plan, Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the East African nation with a sketchy human rights record as “one of the safest countries in the world, globally recognized for its record of welcoming and integrating migrants”.
Britain’s opposition politicians and refugee groups slammed the move and the UN voiced “strong opposition and concerns” about the agreement.
The world body said people fleeing persecution should not be traded like commodities.
“People fleeing war, conflict and persecution deserve compassion and empathy. They should not be traded like commodities and transferred abroad for processing,” the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said.