Asylum seekers go hunger strike as UK prepare for Rwanda deportation

Asylum seekers wey dey immigration detention centre for UK say dem go on hunger strike afta goment tell dem say dem go deport dem go Rwanda.

Seventeen asylum seekers for Brook House detention centre near Gatwick Airport, Sussex, don tell BBC of atmosphere of suffering and hopelessness among detainees.

For April di goment announce plans to send some asylum seekers go Rwanda.

But UK Home Office says detainee welfare na di "most important".

Di asylum seekers don share wit BBC details of di removal notice wey dem give dem.

One document, wey dem date 1 June, identify one asylum seeker wey dem detain for Brooke House for immediate removal to Rwanda capital Kigali.

E say im no fit appeal dis decision.

Home Secretary Priti Patel say di first deportation flight, wey go take pipo wey enta UK witout authorisation, go leave on 14 June - one week later dan dem first announce.

Following di introduction of di Nationality and Borders Act for April, di goment go transfer to a "safe third kontri" - Rwanda - di responsibility for providing asylum to pipo we yenta UK by irregular routes, like crossing di English Channel inside boat from France.

Di measure to fly dis asylum seekers 7,240km to Rwanda na part of $151m deal wey dem reach wit di African kontri.

Speaking to BBC, one asylum seeker say im bin dey among one group of 17 wey end five-day hunger strike on Wednesday evening, afta security men stop to provide sugar for dem to mix wit dia water as dem no gree chop food.

Ali, wey say im get family for UK, tell BBC say im last meeting wit immigration officials na about ending im hunger strike. "Di final tin dem tell me na 'eat so you go fit enta di aeroplane in good health'."

Di pipo wey go on hunger strike include Egyptian asylum seekers, dem dey among about 100 arrivals wey collect notice from Home Office say dem go deport dem go Rwanda. One group receive removal notice on Wednesday about one 14th June flight.

Di detainees say authorities for Brook House forbid dem to use phones wit cameras, dem confiscate dia smartphones come provide dem wit only phones wey no get access to internet.

BBC manage to receive one full copy of di removal notice wey get details of dia situation.

Di letter, wey pass 20 pages, dey only for English. However one section note say one interpreter bin dey to explain wetin dem write inside to di asylum seeker wey receive am.

Di document continuously mispel di man name.

Two separate asylum seekers ask our reporter about wetin dem write inside di document, wey require dia signature, as dem no fit understand di details for English.

Di Home Office neva confam how many pipo dem don sama removal notices.

However one charity Care4Calais estimate say na around 100 asylum seekers wey enta di kontri inside di last month don receive warning of pending removal from UK.

Care4Calais don identify and dey give support to more dan 60 of dem.

One man from Syria, wey dem dey find for military service for im kontri, tell BBC say im "ready to die, but not to move go Rwanda".

Im say: "Wen I hear di news say dem go deport us go Rwanda and say we go receive five-year residence permit dia I start to hit mysef."

In response to questions about di hunger strike inside Brook House, one Home Office tok tok pesin say: "Di health and welfare of pipo for immigration detention na di most important tin.

"We take every step to prevent self-harm or suicide, including place dedicated welfare team on ground for each immigration removal centre, wey dey responsible for identifying vulnerable individuals and providing assistance to support individual needs."

One Egyptian man tell BBC say im dey among di 17 pipo wey go on hunger strike. "I no get any wit di Home Office witout going on hunger strike twice," im tok.

"I bin leave my kontri sake of family disputes. I get mental health problem from wetin I witness for Libya on di journey here."

As part of Tuesday announcement on flights wey go begin for mid-June, di Home Secretary Priti Patel say "we know say dem go now begin make attempts to frustrate di process and delay removals; I no go dey discouraged and I remain fully committed to delivering wetin di British public expect."

However, Steven Galliver-Andrew, one barrister wey dey work in immigration law, on tell BBC say im believe say di goment no go keep to 14 June for di first deportation flight.

Im say: "Di law wey allow di goment to do dis no be like e go come into force until di 28th of June 2022.

"Wetin dem dey do fit dey and dem go challenge am - and dem know and dey expect am."

Additional reporting by Daisy Walsh, Ahisha Ghafoo & Ziad Qattan