The British government has announced that authorities have begun detaining illegal migrants to prepare for their deportation to Rwanda.
The move on Wednesday comes as the Safety of Rwanda Act was passed into law last month. The legislation is designed to send to the African nation asylum seekers who entered the UK without permission.
The government points out that measures to deal with migrants that illegally enter Britain to apply for refugee status have become a heavy financial burden.
The government also on Wednesday released footage of immigration officials raiding homes of individuals believed to be set to be deported to Rwanda. Officials were seen placing handcuffs on them and putting them into vans.
The number of those detained, and the locations where they were detained, remain unclear. But the government says nationwide raids have taken place.
Support groups for asylum seekers have condemned the deportation scheme, saying it violates human rights.
Critics have responded harshly to the video footage, which they say further exposes the inhumane nature of the scheme.
Preventing illegal entry is one of the main policies of the administration of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The administration appears set to see the first deportation flights take off by July. It announced plans to carry out more raids over the next several weeks and send flights to Rwanda in the next nine to 11 weeks.