Rwanda Deportation

Flights to Rwanda under UK's deportation policy still pending

Court challenges and legal hurdles delay implementation

By Rajeev Syal, Kiran Stacey, and Tom Ambrose | April 22, 2024

No asylum seekers have yet been sent to Rwanda under the UK government's controversial deportation plan, which has been met with numerous legal challenges. Despite the government's efforts to defend the policy, the courts have so far ruled against it.

The Conservative government's flagship immigration policy, which would have seen asylum seekers sent to the small landlocked country in central Africa, was finally passed on Monday. However, the scheme faces an uncertain future as it remains the subject of ongoing legal challenges.

The plan has been criticized by human rights groups and opposition politicians, who argue that it is inhumane and will fail to deter people from seeking asylum in the UK. The government has defended the policy, saying that it is necessary to reduce the number of people crossing the English Channel in small boats. However, the legal challenges have cast doubt on whether the policy will ever be implemented.

In a major setback for the government, the Supreme Court ruled in December that the deportation policy was unlawful. The court found that the government had failed to adequately consider the welfare of the asylum seekers who would be deported. The government has since appealed the ruling and the case is due to be heard in the Court of Appeal in June.

In the meantime, the government has paused the deportation flights. The first flights were due to take off in June, but the government has now said that they will not start until the legal challenges have been resolved. It is unclear when the legal challenges will be resolved and whether the government will ultimately be able to implement the deportation policy.