Britain sticks to its deportation plans to Rwanda
Court rulings apparently cannot stop the British government. In order to be able to deport people to Rwanda, Prime Minister Sunak would even change the laws - although the African country is not a safe third country.
Despite another defeat in court, the British government is sticking to its plans to deport migrants to Rwanda. Following a ruling by the Supreme Court, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced his intention to initiate a new agreement with Rwanda and have the East African state declared a safe country by means of an emergency law. Sunak also held out the prospect of overriding a possible new ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
In a speech to the British House of Commons, Sunak said that he was prepared to "change our laws" and "reconsider international relations" if "the national legal framework or international agreements" were to stand in the way of the British government's plans for Rwanda.
With regard to a possible new ECHR ruling against the plans, Sunak said he would "not allow a foreign court to block these flights". In the event of an "intervention" by the ECHR against "the express wish of Parliament", he was prepared to "do what is necessary to allow the flights to take off".
On Wednesday, the British Supreme Court upheld an appeal court's ruling that the deportations of migrants from third countries to Rwanda were unlawful and in breach of international treaties.
Rwanda not a safe third country
In the 56-page decision, the five-member panel of the Supreme Court confirmed the Court of Appeal's ruling from June that Rwanda is not a safe third country. According to the ruling, there is a risk that asylum seekers sent there could be forcibly deported to another country where they would face persecution.
Following the Supreme Court's decision, Sunak said that his government had already been working on a new agreement with Rwanda in advance, which would now be finalized "in light of today's ruling". The British government said that in a joint meeting, Sunak and Rwandan President Paul Kagame had reaffirmed their firm commitment to a "workable migration partnership". The opposition Labour Party accused the Conservative prime minister of not having a serious plan to stem the dangerous crossings of migrants from France across the English Channel to the UK.
The government in Rwanda had previously stated that it accepted the British court's decision. "However, we disagree with the assessment that Rwanda is not a safe third country for asylum seekers and refugees," emphasized government spokesperson Yolande Makolo. The country was fulfilling its "international obligations" and the "exemplary treatment of refugees" had been recognized by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR and other organizations.
The British refugee aid organization Refugee Council welcomed the court decision and called it a "victory for the rights of men, women and children who simply want to be safe".
British government under pressure
Under former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the UK had already concluded an agreement with Rwanda to fly asylum seekers of any origin who had entered the country irregularly. This was intended to deter people from making the dangerous crossing across the English Channel. Opponents describe the plans as inhumane and costly.
Implementation of the project has so far failed. For example, a flight with migrants to the East African country planned for June 2022 was canceled at short notice following a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights.
The British government is under pressure due to a record number of migrants arriving across the English Channel. This year alone, more than 27,000 people came to the UK this way. Last year, the figure was just under 46,000.
The Labour Party criticizes Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for lacking a serious plan to address the issue of migrants crossing the English Channel, despite his intentions to declare Rwanda a safe third country through emergency laws. After the Supreme Court ruled that Rwanda is not a safe third country, Sunak announced his plan to finalize a new agreement with Rwanda. The Conservative Party, led by Sunak, has faced backlash for its plans to deport migrants to Rwanda, which some view as inhumane.
Source: www.ntv.de
