London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

‘Please stop the plane’: asylum seekers plead before Rwanda deportation flight

‘Please stop the plane’: asylum seekers plead before Rwanda deportation flight

‘Mentally exhausted’ expected deportees launched last-minute legal bids to avoid removal from UK

An Albanian asylum seeker and suspected victim of trafficking has told the Guardian he is in a “very bad mental state” as he expects to board a deportation flight to Rwanda, a country of which he knows “nothing”.

The 26-year-old Albanian man is one of seven asylum seekers who have launched last-minute legal challenges to avoid being forcibly flown to the east African country. Others include three Iranians, one Iraqi and one Vietnamese asylum seeker. All arrived in the UK on small boats in the middle of May.

Suspected victims of trafficking are supposed to have their cases fully investigated before they can be removed from the UK.




The Albanian man said: “I was exploited by traffickers in Albania for six months. They trafficked me to France. I did not know which country I was being taken to.”

He said that when he was put on a small boat in northern France he was given to understand that other traffickers would be waiting for him when he arrived in the UK. “I’m in a very bad mental state. I knew nothing about Rwanda. I have never been to Africa and I don’t think it will be safe for me. I can’t return to Albania because the traffickers there will kill me. The only safe place for me is the UK. How can they send an Albanian to Africa?”

The man said he had thought of taking his own life rather than being put on the plane.

One of the Iranian men due to fly said: “I expected support from the UK government but I didn’t receive any, so I am asking the British people to support me instead. I have a son in the UK, but if I’m sent to Rwanda I will not be able to see him. I have a lot of stress and both my son and I have a very bad mental health situation. My family in Iran are very worried about what is happening to me in the UK. I always thought there was justice here but I have found no justice in this country.”




A second Iranian man, who is also scheduled to be deported, said: “I was involved in peaceful, democratic politics against the Iranian regime. The government executed my cousin, and detained and tortured my uncle for four years.

“If I stayed in Iran, they would execute me too, or at the very least sentence me to 30 years in prison. I ran away from a brutal regime. I am not a criminal. I want the UK government to know that I only want to live in peace. Because of the good diplomatic relationship between Iran and Rwanda I’m worried that if I’m sent to Rwanda … the Rwandan government will send me back to Iran.”

Another expected deportee, a 25-year-old Iraqi Kurdish man, said he fled Iraq after receiving threats from relatives who were high up in government. He came to the UK because his sister lives there. Of the 53 people in the boat he travelled in, 14 were detained while the others were placed in hotels. He finally found a lawyer who lodged an urgent injunction application for him. He is a potential victim of trafficking.

He said a group of six detainees, all due to fly on Tuesday evening, were being held in Colnbrook immigration detention centre near Heathrow airport. “Nobody can sleep. We all have nightmares if we close our eyes. We are all mentally exhausted,” he said.

“We are all feeling so bad that they are sending us by force to Rwanda. It is too much to think about. My message to anyone who will listen is: ‘Please stop the plane.’”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×