British justice authorizes deportation of migrants to Rwanda

A few days before the first scheduled departures, the British justice authorized, on Friday June 10, the controversial government project to send asylum seekers back to Rwanda, rejecting the appeal of human rights associations. London High Court Judge Jonathan Swift, who was reviewing the case as a matter of urgency, said he was “important in the public interest that the Minister of the Interior can implement immigration control decisions”.

The plaintiffs, including the associations Care4Calais and Detention Action, have lodged an appeal, which will be heard on Monday on the eve of a first flight transporting around 30 asylum seekers to the East African country, to the chagrin of the UN and refugee aid associations who denounce a policy “illegal”. On Monday, the High Court is also due to hear another appeal, brought by the refugee aid association Asylum Aid. James Nichol, lawyer and administrator of the Care4Calais association, denounced a policy “brutal” aiming “people who come from war-torn countries” and “are already traumatized”.

Sonya Sceats, executive director of Freedom From Torture, also expressed her “disappointment”but pointed out that the fight was “far from over”. Although she expects further legal action, Home Secretary Priti Patel has expressed her determination to implement this strategy, which she says must “ultimately saving lives”. Prime Minister Boris Johnson assured him that this would help “to break the business model of these ruthless criminals”.

By sending asylum seekers more than 6,000 kilometers from London, which recalls the policy pursued by Australia, the government intends to deter illegal arrivals in the country, which are ever more numerous. Since the start of the year, more than 10,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel illegally to reach British shores in small boats, a considerable increase on previous years, which were already record highs.