UK set to approve bill to deport asylum seekers – which other countries have similar policies?

The British parliament is set to finally approve a divisive law this week to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, but further legal hurdles could yet hold up or derail one of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s key policies.

The “Safety of Rwanda” bill aims to cut immigration

by deterring migrants from arriving without permission, but refugee rights groups say it criminalises genuine asylum seekers, and Britain’s Supreme Court ruled last year that the East African nation was not a safe country to send people.

Sunak has invested huge political capital in the Rwanda scheme, promising that it will stop tens of thousands of people arriving without permission in small boats across the Channel.

The new legislation is expected to get lawmakers’ approval by the end of the week, but whether the Rwanda scheme does finally get off the ground remains far from certain.

Charities and human rights groups say they are gearing up to bring challenges on behalf of individuals, although as yet none have been specifically told they would be sent to Rwanda.

Here are some countries that have taken a similar approach to migration, or are considering it:

Australia

Introduced in 2001, Australia's offshoring asylum programme specifically targets migrants arriving in Australian waters by boat and is aimed at discouraging refugees from making dangerous ocean crossings and stopping people smuggling.

Asylum seekers have been transferred...

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