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Rishi Sunak’s government is awaiting a crucial judgment by the UK Supreme Court, set to be delivered next Wednesday to determine the legality of the government’s flagship immigration policy. The policy involves sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, for which an agreement has been entered between the UK government and Rwandan authorities
Rishi Sunak’s government is awaiting a crucial judgment by the UK Supreme Court, set to be delivered next Wednesday to determine the legality of the government’s flagship immigration policy. The policy involves sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, for which an agreement has been entered between the UK government and Rwandan authorities.
A Court of Appeal ruled that the multimillion-pound agreement to deport asylum seekers to the East African nation was unlawful. The Supreme Court’s decision will have significant implications for the government’s immigration strategy. Deportation of immigrants is pending because of the court order. If the Supreme Court accords legality to the Government’s plan, the UK Home Office anticipates that deportation flights to Rwanda, specifically to the capital city of Kigali, could commence by the next year. A five-bench court will decide the case, which has evinced worldwide attention.
Activists and other groups fighting against the immigration policy maintain that deportations to Rwanda would violate Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights which prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. According to the government’s argument, the memorandum of understanding between the UK and Rwanda assures a safe and effective refugee status determination process for all deportees. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has also entered the legal fray, asserting that the assurances provided are insufficient to address the fundamental defects in the Rwandan asylum system.
Rishi Sunak has made the prevention of small boat arrivals one of his key pledges to the electorate. In the early part of this year, almost 26,700 migrants crossed the Channel and arrived in Britain, according to government figures released earlier this month. To date, the UK has paid at least £140 million to the Rwandan government, led by President Paul Kagame. Despite the introduction of the illegal migration bill, no deportation flights have occurred due to a series of legal challenges.
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The judgment, which carries significant political and human rights implications, will be rendered by Lords Reed, Hodge, Lloyd-Jones, Briggs, and Sales. The controversial asylum policy involving sending tens of thousands of asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing was initially announced by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April 2022. It was conceived as a response to the escalating numbers of refugees attempting to reach the UK by crossing the English Channel via small boats. Government ministers believe that the policy serves as a deterrent.
