UK Asylum Policy to Rwanda Declared Unlawful by Supreme Court
Government's Controversial Plan Faces Setback
Intervention by European Court of Human Rights Halts Inaugural Flight
The United Kingdom government's controversial policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has been declared unlawful by the Supreme Court, dealing a potentially fatal blow to the initiative. The court upheld a ruling by the Court of Appeal, which had previously found that the policy was "systematically unfair" and did not properly consider the risks to asylum seekers.
Under the policy, asylum seekers arriving in the UK would be sent to Rwanda to have their claims processed. The government argued that this would deter people from making dangerous journeys across the English Channel in small boats. However, the court found that the policy was not sufficiently fair or efficient to meet the government's objectives.
The Supreme Court's ruling comes as a major blow to the government, which has invested heavily in the policy. The first flight of asylum seekers to Rwanda was due to take place in June 2022, but was halted at the 11th hour by an intervention from the European Court of Human Rights. The government has said it will appeal the Supreme Court's ruling, but it remains unclear whether the policy will ever be implemented.
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