Watch the recording of a critical discussion of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act to explore its consequences for human rights protections in Northern Ireland and the opportunities for challenging it. This recorded event provides the opportunity to explore the legal, political, and lived experience impacts of the legislation in the wider context of the hostile environment and repeated challenges to human rights in recent years.

Panellists from academia, human rights advocacy, and grassroots campaigns provide analysis of the Act, its conflict with established human rights commitments, and the practical impact on refugees and asylum seekers being felt in Northern Ireland.

Key points of discussion include:

• The legal effect of the Act and potential paths for legal resistance
• The impact of the Act on refugees and asylum seekers
• Strategies for advocacy and resistance to ensure the protection and advancement of human rights.

Speakers:

• Dr Gillian Kane, lecturer at Ulster University in the School of Law with legal analysis on the shape of the final Act, its main provisions and possible implications
• Liz Griffith from the Law Centre and the Migration Justice project providing a reaction from the advice and case work perspective including the practicalities and implications for those seeking support
• Dr Ivanka Antonov from United Against Racism speaking from an activist perspective on challenging and campaigning against the Act