LONDON COURT TO DETERMINE LEGALITY OF GOVERNMENT FLIGHTS TO RWANDA TO DEPORT MIGRANTS

Mon 19 December 2022:

On Monday (December 19), the London High Court will rule on whether the British government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is legal.

The UK plans to send tens of thousands of illegal migrants to Rwanda under an agreement reached in April by the then-Boris Johnson government.

According to Reuters, the first flight under the agreement was scheduled for June of this year, but it was thwarted by a last-minute injunction from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). A judicial review at the London High Court also called the strategy’s legality into question.

UK HOME SECRETARY PATEL DEFENDS RWANDA PLAN AFTER LEGAL SETBACK

.Judges Jonathan Swift and Clive Lewis are presiding over the matter and the verdict is expected at around 1030 GMT (1600 IST).

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has staked his future on stopping the record number of migrants that arrive on Britain’s shores in small boats. In one of his first major policy announcements, Sunak had set out a plan to clamp down on these illegal immigrants.

The PM had expressed his desire to restart the flights in spite of opposition from other lawmakers, the United Nations and even the monarch King Charles.

PRINCE CHARLES BLASTS UK’S RWANDA DEPORTATION PLAN: REPORT

However, even if the court was to rule in favour of Sunak and his plans, the flights cannot be restarted straight away as further appeals could be filed challenging the verdict. Moreover, the ECHR injunction also bars any immediate deportations until a legal conclusion is reached in the country.

According to polls, immigration has become a major issue in the UK, rising to the third most important issue for voters. This comes as the country welcomes a record 40,000 visitors this year.

However, opponents of the policy have labeled it inhumane because the destination country, Rwanda, has a questionable human rights record, and asylum seekers and their lawyers argue that the UK government’s plans violate human rights conventions.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent