UK judges rule Rwanda deportation plan is lawful
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The plan, which was unveiled in April, calls for sending thousands of migrants - who land in Britain from a distance of more than 6,400 km - to Rwanda.
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More than 28,000 migrants and refugees crossed from mainland Europe to the UK in 2021. (Reuters)
The London High Court ruled on Monday that Britain's proposal to deport migrants to Rwanda is legal, upholding Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's high-stakes political vow to address the record number of migrants arriving in small boats.
The plan, which was unveiled in April, calls for sending thousands of migrants who land in Britain from a distance of more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) to Rwanda.
Judges Clive Lewis and Jonathan Swift announced the court's ruling, stating that it was legal for Britain to coordinate with the Rwandan government to move asylum seekers there so that their claims could be adjudicated there.
"The relocation of asylum seekers to Rwanda is consistent with the Refugee Convention and with the statutory and other legal obligations on the government," the judges said as quoted by Reuters.
On June 15, the first aircraft taking asylum seekers to Rwanda as part of a contentious UK policy was canceled, dealing severe embarrassment to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's administration at the time.
The number of people scheduled to board the flight had been reduced from 130 to seven on Tuesday, and then to none owing to a last-minute judgment by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Priti Patel, the British Home Secretary, expressed disappointment that the plane did not take off due to “legal challenge and last-minute claims," but promised to maintain the severely criticized policy.
In a statement, she vowed that "we will not be deterred."
Rwanda welcomes UK court ruling
Simultaneously, Rwanda said it appreciated a decision by courts in London that determined a contentious British government proposal to deport migrants to Rwanda was legal.
"We welcome this decision and stand ready to offer asylum seekers and migrants safety and the opportunity to build a new life in Rwanda," Rwanda government Spokesperson Yolande Makolo told AFP, describing it as a "positive step" to solving the global migration crisis.
More than 40,000 people, a record number, have entered France this year, as per statistics. Many of them traveled from Afghanistan among other nations to seek asylum in Britain before continuing their trek through Europe.
The topic of immigration has frequently dominated British political debacle over the past ten years and is anticipated to come up frequently during the 2024 presidential campaign.
One of Sunak's first policy declarations included a plan to crack down on illegal immigration and declared his desire to resume flights to Rwanda against objections from MPs from all major political parties, the UN, not to mention King Charles.
A last-minute injunction issued by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) prevented the first scheduled deportation aircraft to Rwanda in June, and the legality of the operation was subsequently contested in London's High Court.
