Guardian, Mirror and Independent exclusion from Braverman Rwanda trip ‘chilling’

The Home Office said it is not always possible to invite all media outlets on every trip.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman in Rwanda — Saturday 18 March 2023: Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours a building site on the outskirts of Kigali during her visit to Rwanda, to see houses that are being constructed that could eventually house deported migrants from the UK. Picture: PA Wire/Stefan Rousseau

Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner has condemned a “chilling” pattern of behaviour from the Government after her newspaper was excluded from Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s trip to Rwanda.

The Mirror’s editor-in-chief Alison Phillips similarly warned of “really damaging” consequences from the way press places were handled on the visit.

The Guardian, Mirror, i and The Independent are all believed to have been excluded from Braverman’s trip to the Rwandan capital Kigali over the weekend. The offiial visit was used to reaffirm the Goverment’s commitment to its migrant policy and view facilities being prepared for asylum seekers who will be deported from Britain to the African country from this summer.