Seventeenth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

This paper examines the UK government’s Rwanda Asylum Partnership Agreement as a case study of moral panics influencing migration policy. It critiques the framing of migrants as national threats, examining the implications of such narratives on the government’s decision to offshore asylum processing to Rwanda. The plan, which controversially targets individuals arriving via irregular routes, notably small boat crossings, reflects a broader strategy to deter migrant arrivals by delegating responsibilities to a third country. This paper explores the construction of migrants as societal ‘folk devils’, scapegoats in politically engineered crises, through critical discourse analysis of media and political rhetoric. It questions the ethical and legal ramifications of the UK’s Rwanda strategy, arguing that it amplifies xenophobic sentiments and violates international refugee conventions. By applying theories of ‘othering’ and securitisation, this study deconstructs the calculated use of moral panics as a vehicle for radical policy shifts. It dissects the narratives that underpin the Rwanda plan and provides insights into the intersection of moral panic and immigration.