Britain sacrifices human rights to its Rwanda plan
The Supreme Court rules that London's plan to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda immediately after their arrival violates human rights. Prime Minister Sunak wants to suspend the Human Rights Act in the case of Rwanda in order to be able to get rid of migrants in this way after all.
The British government expressly does not want to let human rights stand in the way of its controversial plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that a new bill would stipulate that key parts of the UK Human Rights Act, which prescribes human rights, could not be applied in the case of Rwanda. This will ensure "that our plan cannot be stopped," Sunak said.
The planned law is intended to declare Rwanda a safe third country. The British government wants asylum seekers who enter the country irregularly to be flown out to the East African country immediately, regardless of their origin. They are to apply for asylum there; a return to the UK is ruled out.
The Supreme Court in London had also stopped the project with reference to deficits in the rule of law in Rwanda. The Supreme Court emphasized that there was a risk that asylum seekers in the East African country would not receive a fair trial. Among other things, the court referred to reports from the UN refugee agency UNHCR. With the new law, the government believes it can overcome the reservations. Prime Minister Sunak is under considerable pressure from the right wing to significantly reduce migration.
An extraordinary quote from Home Affairs Minister James Cleverly on the first page of the draft caused a stir. He is unable to say whether the law is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), it says. The right wing of Sunak's Conservative Party is calling for the UK to withdraw from the ECHR so that international courts can no longer stop the project. It was the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg that stopped the only planned flight with asylum seekers to Rwanda at the last minute by means of a temporary injunction.
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Despite the Supreme Court's ruling against the human rights violation, Prime Minister Sunak continues to push for a new bill that exempts the UK Human Rights Act in the case of Rwanda. This move aimed at deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda without hindrance.
Great Britain views Rwanda as a safe third country, planning to send asylum seekers who arrive irregularly there directly for asylum application, barring any return to the UK.
The European Court of Human Rights previously halted a planned flight with asylum seekers to Rwanda, citing concerns about the rule of law and fair trials.
Following the failed flight, the right-wing factions of Prime Minister Sunak's Conservative Party are advocating for the UK's withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights, enabling them to bypass international courts and implement their Rwanda deportation policy without constraints.
Source: www.ntv.de