UK deals with Rwandan asylum seekers after Labour government reverses deportation policy

Published in: 09/07/2024 – 15:01

2 min

The cases of three asylum seekers who launched legal proceedings to block a British attempt to send them to Rwanda were heard on Tuesday after the new Labour government reversed the policy.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared on Saturday that the ousted Conservative government’s plan to deport migrants was “dead and buried”.

There have been a number of legal challenges to the scheme before, and in November last year the UK Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal under international law because Rwanda could not be considered a safe country for asylum seekers.

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Government lawyer James Eadie told the High Court in London on Tuesday: “In relation to the three named plaintiffs, their cases will be heard in full and withdrawn, provided that (the Home Office) pays their costs.”

Labour said ahead of last Thursday’s general election it would scrap the scheme, which the Conservatives said would deter huge numbers of migrants trying to cross the Channel to the UK on small boats from northern France.

Sixty-five people landed on Monday, the first under the new government, according to official figures from AFP, bringing the total number of arrivals this year to 13,639.

No obligation to return money

Rwanda, a country of 13 million people located in the African Great Lakes region, is considered one of the most stable countries on the continent and is praised for its modern infrastructure.

But human rights groups accuse veteran President Paul Kagame of ruling in a climate of fear, stifling dissent and free speech.

A Rwandan government spokesman said on Monday that “Rwanda notes the UK government’s intention to terminate the Migration and Economic Development Partnership Agreement.”

Under the deal, Britain has already paid Rwanda about 240 million pounds ($307 million), with another 50 million pounds planned to be sent later.

In January, Kagame said the money “will only be used if these people come. If they don’t come, we can return the money.”

However, he later stressed that he had “no obligation” to do so.

(AFP)