Colonial Precedents and Contemporary Echoes: Coerced Displacement and Asylum Policies

Abstract

The UK's deal with Rwanda to relocate asylum seekers challenges refugee rights and undermines the Geneva Convention, setting a precedent for countries to externalize migration management. This shift risks reshaping global protection towards transactional agreements and strips refugees of agency, making them vulnerable to exploitation. This paper explores the intersection of historical colonial practices of coerced displacement and the contemporary landscape of asylum policies, shedding light on their interconnectedness. The analysis traverses’ historical instances, from the Atlantic slave trade to the forced migration of indigenous communities and the relocation of marginalized groups such as convicts and refugees. It delves into the intricate tapestry of relocation tactics employed, encompassing deportation strategies, offshore containment, and the resettlement of undesirable populations within and beyond the Empire's borders. Through meticulous examination, the study unravels the threads linking past colonial practices to contemporary asylum policies. It scrutinizes recent initiatives such as the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership, revealing echoes of colonial power dynamics in their execution. The paper dissects the ramifications of these policies on the international refugee framework, contemplating their implications on global disparities in refugee distribution and their potential to undermine established conventions like the 1951 Refugee Convention. By contextualizing present-day asylum policies within the historical continuum of coerced displacement, this paper aims to illuminate the persisting impact of colonial precedents on contemporary approaches to population relocation and asylum governance.