It is a humiliating setback for the British government. Despite its determination to deport migrants to Rwanda to deter illegal arrivals in the UK, the first flight, scheduled for Tuesday evening, was canceled following last-minute appeals.
With its plan to send asylum seekers who arrived illegally in the United Kingdom to this East African country, more than 6,000 km from London, the government claims to curb the illegal crossings of the English Channel, which continue to increase despite its repeated promises to control immigration since Brexit.
The UN-criticized plan is hugely popular with conservative voters as Prime Minister Boris Johnson tries to restore his authority after escaping a vote of no confidence from his party. But after legal action, and an emergency decision from the European Court of Human Rights, the plane specially chartered for hundreds of thousands of euros remained on the ground.
“Last ticket canceled. NO ONE IS LEAVING TO RWANDA,” tweeted refugee support organization Care4Calais, which had announced previous deportation cancellations.
Government sources confirmed to the British news agency PA that the planned plane would not take off due to last-minute interventions by the ECHR.
Intervention of the European Court of Human Rights
Originally, the authorities intended to expel up to 130 migrants (Iranians, Iraqis, Albanians or Syrians) in this first flight, a figure which has been reduced to a trickle following various individual appeals. And in a last-minute twist, the ECHR stopped the deportation of an Iraqi asylum seeker on Tuesday evening, taking a temporary emergency measure. A source of relief for associations defending the rights of migrants who consider the government’s project cruel and immoral.
The Strasbourg-based ECHR ruled that the deportation of the Iraqi should be postponed until a British court has considered the legality of the bill, which is expected in July. This is in particular to ensure that migrants can have access to fair procedures in Rwanda and that Rwanda is considered a safe country.
London “not discouraged”
“We will not be discouraged from doing the right thing and implementing our plans to control the borders of our country,” Home Secretary Priti Patel said, adding that the government’s legal team is “looking into every decision made on this flight and the preparation for the next flight begins now”.
Under its agreement with Kigali, London will initially finance the system to the tune of 120 million pounds (140 million euros). The Rwandan government has made it clear that it will offer migrants the possibility “to settle permanently”.
Fueling the controversy, Prince Charles privately judged the government’s project “dismaying”, the Timeswhile he must participate in a Commonwealth meeting from June 20 in Rwanda.