Deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda: High Court to rule whether UK government's plan is legal
The High Court in London is to rule on Monday on whether the British government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is legal.
It comes at a time when illegal crossings of the English Channel have reached record levels, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has staked his political credibility on stopping the arrivals in small boats.
In April, the UK struck a deal with Kigali, aiming to send tens of thousands of migrants arriving on its shores to Rwanda. Anyone judged to have entered Britain illegally is eligible for deportation, with the exception of unaccompanied children.
However, no deportation has yet taken place. The first planned deportation flight was blocked in June by a last-minute injunction from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and the strategy's lawfulness was subsequently challenged by a judicial review at London's High Court.
A victory for the government on Monday will not mean that flights can take off straight away because there may be a further appeal in the British courts. The ECHR injunction imposed during the summer prevents any immediate deportations until the conclusion of legal action in the United Kingdom.
Britain's ruling Conservative Party has made a priority of the Brexit promises of tackling immigration and control of the country's borders.
Sunak has said he wants to restart flights to Rwanda, despite opposition from politicians across all main parties, as well as the United Nations.
The prime minister is under growing pressure from his own members of parliament and the public, with figures showing around 45,000 people have arrived in small vessels on English shores this year, compared to 28,526 in 2021.
Four migrants, including a teenager, died attempting the crossing last week. In November
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