U.K. Court of Appeal Rejects Government Plan to Send Asylum Seekers to Rwanda

 The U.K. Court of Appeal has dealt a blow to the Rishi Sunak government, ruling against their plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. The plan, part of the British government's “stop the boats” strategy, was seen by the court as risking putting those asylees in harm's way.

The Prime Minister has said he will seek to appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court. The ‘Rwanda policy’ was originally deemed legal by the U.K. High Court last December, a decision that was appealed by Asylum Aid. On Thursday, the Court of Appeals overturned the High Court’s ruling by a 2: 1 majority, with the Lord Chief Justice dissenting from the majority.

The judges said there were “substantial grounds” for believing that individuals sent to Rwanda would be returned to their home countries where they face persecution or inhumane treatment when they in fact have a good claim for asylum, and that the policy should not be implemented until the deficiencies in Rwanda’s asylum processes are corrected.

The Prime Minister has contended that the policy is safe and that the UNHCR has their own refugee scheme for Libyans in Rwanda, while Home Secretary Suella Braverman has accused the ruling of being a victory for people smugglers and the Labour party.

The court was at pains to stress that their ruling was not a comment on the political merit of the policy, and that it was instead a matter for government. The outcome of the U.K. Court of Appeal’s ruling could have far reaching implications for the government’s immigration policy and its ability to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel.

Mr Sunak has said he will seek to appeal the decision in the country’s Supreme Court.U.K. Court of Appeal Blocks Government Plan to Send Asylum Seekers to Rwanda The U.K. Court of Appeal has dealt a blow to the Rishi Sunak government, ruling against a plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

The policy, part of the government's “stop the boats” strategy, was seen by the court as risking putting those asylees in harm's way.The ‘Rwanda policy’ was originally deemed legal by the U.K. High Court last December, a decision that was appealed by Asylum Aid. On Thursday, the Court of Appeals overturned the High Court’s ruling by a 2: 1 majority, with the Lord Chief Justice dissenting from the majority.

 The judges said there were “substantial grounds” for believing that individuals sent to Rwanda would be returned to their home countries where they face persecution or inhumane treatment when they in fact have a good claim for asylum.

The court also said that the deficiencies in Rwanda’s asylum process must be corrected before the policy can be implemented. The Prime Minister has contended that the policy is safe and that the UNHCR has their own refugee scheme for Libyans in Rwanda, while Home Secretary Suella Braverman has accused the ruling of being a victory for people smugglers and the Labour party.

The outcome of the U.K. Court of Appeal’s ruling could have far reaching implications for the government’s immigration policy and its ability to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel. Mr Sunak has said he will seek to appeal the decision in the country’s Supreme Court.

The Prime Minister has said that he respects the court but “fundamentally” disagrees with their conclusions. He said he believes “there is no real risk” that those asylees who are relocated to Rwanda would be sent to third countries.

The court ruling was seen by many as a setback for the government’s plans to discourage migrants from crossing the English Channel and seeking asylum in the U.K. It is yet to be seen if the government will be successful in their appeal to the Supreme Court, or if the ruling will be reassessed in the future.