APA – Kigali (Rwanda) – Three judges at the Court of Appeal in London, UK ruled on Thursday that the UK government’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda was unlawful as it cannot be treated as a safe third country.
The ruling is a blow to the Conservative government and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who had backed the controversial plan as a way to reduce the number of people arriving in the country on small boats.
Media reports quoted one of the judges, Ian Burnett, as saying that “the deficiencies in the asylum system in Rwanda are such that there are substantial grounds for believing that there is a real risk that persons sent to Rwanda will be returned to their home countries where they face persecution and other inhumane treatment.”
The majority of judges agreed that the deportation would remain unlawful, unless “deficiencies” in Rwanda could be corrected.
The UK government wants to send thousands of asylum seekers — people who are requesting shelter or protection in a foreign country — to the small East African country, some 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) from the UK.
Sunak has pledged to stop the arrival of migrants from across the English Channel, making it one of the top five priorities of his government as the country battles inflation and a cost-of-living crisis.
So far no one has yet been deported to Rwanda, but the UK has already paid 140 million pounds ($170 million; €162 million) as part of the deal.
CU/abj/APA