Beyond the Headlines: What's wrong with the UK's Rwanda refugee plan?

Rescued from the choppy seas of the English Channel or landing on the windswept beaches of the east of England, over the last three years thousands of people in small inflatable dinghies have made the perilous crossing from France.

As dozens died making the journey, the UK deployed the coastguard, the navy and the lifeboat service to try to rescue those attempting to make the journey.

In 2021, an estimated 28,526 people crossed the channel in small boats. Data for the first half of 2022 showed over 8,000 had made the journey with tens of thousands more expected in the calmer, warmer summer months.

The arrivals have sparked a heated debate.

Some accuse the government of being soft on immigration, turning a blind eye to smugglers and not policing the country’s borders.

Others accuse the government of a callous disregard for human life and failing to meet obligations to those fleeing for their lives.

And now, the UK has said “enough”.

On this week's Beyond the Headlines, host James Haines-Young delves into the UK Government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, we look at the criticism of the proposal from even the most vocal advocates for significant action and ask whether such proposals can even solve the issue.