London – The British government’s controversial proposal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda in Africa has been declared illegal by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
The plan was intended to discourage individuals from making dangerous journeys across the Channel in small boats.
In Rwanda, asylum seekers would have the choice to seek asylum within the country, return to their home country, or pursue asylum in another nation, excluding the United Kingdom.
However, Lord Reed, the President of the court, has expressed concerns about the “real risk” of asylum seekers being sent back to the places they fled from.
Since its announcement in 2022, the plan has faced legal challenges. Initially, the High Court deemed it lawful, but later the Court of Appeal overturned this decision.
Recently, the Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeal’s ruling. The five-judge panel at the UK’s highest court unanimously agreed with the Court of Appeal judges, stating that the policy was not in line with Britain’s obligations under international treaties.
“We conclude that the Court of Appeal… was entitled to find that there are substantial grounds for believing that the removal of the claimants to Rwanda would expose them to a real risk of ill-treatment,” they concluded.
The judges have supported the June verdict of the lower court, which stated that Rwanda could potentially send back asylum seekers and refugees against their will to a country where they might be mistreated, a practice known as refoulement.
“Having been taken through the evidence we agree with their conclusion,” they added in their 56-page ruling.
Reacting to the judgement, British Prime Minister Rushi Sunak said the ruling was “not the outcome we wanted” and the government “will now consider next steps” while ministers in Kigali “take issue” with the ruling that Rwanda was not a safe third country.
