Will appeal court’s decision to strike down Rwanda policy, says Rishi Sunak

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. File
| Photo Credit: AP

In a blow to the Rishi Sunak government, the U.K. Court of Appeal has ruled against a government plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda. Mr. Sunak, has said he will seek to appeal the decision in the country’s Supreme Court.

Mr Sunak said that while he respects the court he “fundamentally” disagrees with their conclusions. He said he believed “there is no real risk” that those asylees who are relocated to Rwanda would be sent to third countries.  

The ‘Rwanda policy’ as it is known, is part of the  British government’s “stop the boats” strategy, i.e., a plan to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel to enter the U.K. The policy — which seeks to send potential asylees to Rwanda while their applications are adjudicated — applies to other asylum seekers in the U.K. as well. The U.K. High Court had ruled last December that it was legal — a decision which was appealed by a charity, Asylum Aid.  

The High Court’s ruling that Rwanda was a safe country was overturned by a 2: 1 majority verdict in the Court of Appeals on Thursday. The Lord Chief Justice dissented from the majority.

The court 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 high court’s decision that Rwanda was a Safe Third Country is reversed and that unless and until the deficiencies in its asylum processes are corrected, removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda will be unlawful,” one of the judges said.

  The judge also said that the decision was not a comment on the political merit or otherwise of the Rwanda policy. “Those are entirely a matter for government,” he said.

“Rwanda is a safe country. The High Court agreed. The UNHCR have their own refugee scheme for Libyan refugee in Rwanda,” the Prime Minister said.

“Today is a good day for people smugglers. It is a good day for Labour,” Home Secretary Suella Braverman told the House of Commons on Thursday.

A bill to tackle illegal migration is currently with the U.K. Parliament.