In a significant setback for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government, the UK's Supreme Court delivered a unanimous verdict on Wednesday, deeming the plans to send migrants to Rwanda as unlawful due to the potential risks they would face.
The highest court in the country expressed concerns that the policy could expose asylum seekers to "risk of ill-treatment," particularly as there was a possibility of them being returned to their home countries once arriving in Rwanda.
Sunak, who has been firm in his commitment to preventing migrants from reaching Britain via small boats across the English Channel, acknowledged the court's decision, stating, "This was not the outcome we wanted." He further conveyed that the government would assess the judgment and consider the next steps, emphasizing their unwavering dedication to halting the influx of boats.
Despite the setback, Sunak remained resolute in his determination, mentioning ongoing efforts to formulate a new treaty with Rwanda and a readiness to reassess domestic legal frameworks if necessary.
The ruling followed a scathing letter from dismissed Home Secretary Suella Braverman, accusing Sunak of betraying his promise to employ all means necessary to curb small boat crossings. Braverman contended that the Prime Minister lacked a viable "Plan B" in case of a Supreme Court defeat.
The context of the court case is set against the backdrop of rising net immigration since Brexit, reaching a record of 606,000 in 2022. Small boat arrivals also surged, with 45,775 detected in 2022 and over 27,000 so far in the current year.
Introduced by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April 2022, the Rwanda plan aimed to dissuade asylum seekers from undertaking the perilous journey across the Channel. Under this initiative, those who arrived illegally in Britain after January 1 the previous year faced potential deportation to Rwanda.
A June 2022 deportation flight was blocked following a last-minute injunction from the European Court of Human Rights.
Reports indicate that the UK is presently spending over three billion pounds annually on managing asylum applications, with the daily cost of housing migrants during the processing of their claims standing at around 6 million pounds.
(With Agency Inputs)
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