London’s High Court judges on Monday gave permission to a group of asylum seekers to appeal against a ruling that Britain’s plan to send migrants to Rwanda is lawful, reported The BBC.
In December, two High Court judges that the UK’s migrant policy is legal, rejecting a legal plea made by several asylum seekers, aid groups and a border officials’ union.
During Monday’s hearing, London’s High Court judges Lord Justice Lewis and Mr Justice Swift said that 11 asylum seekers could ask the Court of Appeal to consider whether Rwanda’s assurances to the UK will guarantee safe and fair treatment to them. No date has been set for the case to go before the Court of Appeal.
The court said the group could argue that sending them to Rwanda penalised them for seeking protection and that the entire plan is systemically unfair.
In response, London’s interior ministry, the Home Office, said it would defend its policy, which is a part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to control the record number of migrants and refugees arriving in the country in small boats.
The Britain government argues that the plan will stave off people smugglers. The first planned deportation flight was blocked in June last year by a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which imposed an injunction preventing any deportations until the conclusion of legal action in Britain.
“Our ground-breaking migration partnership will relocate anyone who comes to the UK through dangerous and illegal routes to Rwanda, where they will be supported to build a new life,” said a spokesperson for London’s Home Office. “This will disrupt the criminal people smuggling gangs who sell lies and put lives at risk.
He added that the court had previously upheld that the policy was lawful and that it complies with the Refugee Convention. He added that the British government stands ready to defend the policy at any appeal hearings.
