Supreme Court rules against controversial UK policy to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda
The UK’s Supreme Court has ruled against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda. The ruling deals a potentially fatal blow to the UK’s flagship migration policy and has sparked outrage from the right wing of British politics. The policy, which aimed to deport asylum-seekers who arrive in the UK illegally to Rwanda, was found to be unlawful by the court.
The ruling dismantled the government’s appeal and signifies a significant setback for the plan, which has been marred by legal challenges and has yet to deport a single person. Sunak has now stated that he plans to pursue a formal treaty with Rwanda, a move that will require further legal scrutiny.
The court found that Rwanda could not be considered a safe country for asylum-seekers, as the government had argued, due to the risk that genuine refugees would face ill-treatment or refoulement to their country of origin. This has led to calls from the right of the Conservative Party to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), causing deep rifts within the ruling party.
Despite the ruling, Sunak remains committed to stopping the boats and is working on a new treaty with Rwanda. The verdict has been celebrated by humanitarian groups opposing the plan, and it has reignited a debate about illegal migration in the run-up to the UK’s general election.
The plan was unveiled in response to a rise in perilous small boat crossings by asylum seekers across the English Channel, with the UK paying £140 million to the Rwandan government. The government’s failure to implement the plan has sparked criticism from opposition parties, with Labour leader Keir Starmer calling the policy a “Tory gimmick.”
The ruling has exposed the government’s vulnerability and drawn intense criticism from opponents, highlighting the challenges facing the UK’s immigration policy. While the government plans to revisit the policy with a new approach, the battle over illegal migration remains a divisive issue within British politics.
