UK court stops govt’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda

A British court has ruled that a government plan to send asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda — designed to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel is unlawful.

Court of Appeal judges said Rwanda could not be considered a “safe third country” where migrants could be sent, but — in a partial victory for the government — added that a policy of deporting asylum seekers to another country was not in itself illegal. The ruling has still delivered a blow to the Conservative administration’s pledge to stop migrants making risky journeys across the English Channel. The government is likely to challenge the ruling at the UK Supreme Court, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying that “while I respect the court I fundamentally disagree with their conclusions.”

Sunak has pledged to “stop the boats” — a reference to the overcrowded dinghies and other small craft that make the journey from northern France carrying migrants who hope to live in the United Kingdom. More than 45,000 people arrived in Britain across the Channel in 2022, and several died in the attempt. London and Kigali agreed more than a year ago that some migrants who arrive in the UK as stowaways or in small boats would be sent to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed. Those granted asylum would stay in the East African country rather than return to Britain. Rwanda says it still supports the deportation plan despite the Appeal Court ruling.