The court decision is a big win for PM Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman who have vowed to carry on with the plan.
A High Court in the United Kingdom has ruled that the plans by the country’s Home Office to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda as part of the UK-Rwanda Migration Partnership is legal and did not violate the country’s laws.
Rwanda and UK reached a deal earlier this year in April to have asylum seekers who cross the channel sent to Rwanda for processing but the partnership was derailed by legal stumbling blocks as rights groups opposed the plan through several court cases.
The UK Government maintains that the plan is legal and will forge ahead, despite the delays but now they have been revitalized by the court ruling which gave a greenlight to Home Secretary Suella Braverman to continue with her plans.
The legal victory is a major win for the UK government despite the order by the same court for the government to reconsider the cases of eight individual asylum seekers who were due to be sent to Rwanda earlier this year.
The High Court judge said a decision on whether to allow an appeal has been adjourned until 16 January 2023. Rwanda and UK say the move to relocate asylum seekers will deter migrants from taking dangerous journeys to cross the channel.
Both UK and Rwanda affirm that the partnership will address the roots of the immigration crisis by tackling the global inequalities of opportunity that drive economic migrants from their homes causing unsustainable levels of demand on the system.
Both countries say the partnership will prioritise the dignity and empowerment of migrants, their safety and security will be ensured by hosting the programme in Rwanda – consistently ranked one of the world’s safest nations.
Rwanda says the partnership reflects the country’s commitments to protecting vulnerable people around the world, and ensuring development and prosperity for Rwanda and its people.
Ahead of the ruling, the UK Home Office released a detailing how the UK-Rwanda partnership will allow those in genuine need to develop themselves to have a peaceful safe life just like in Rwanda.
UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, vowed to pursue the UK-Rwanda immigration plan designed to reduce the number of people dying on dangerous journeys or get trafficked by gangs with the promise of getting them to the UK.
