LONDON —
Britain’s Supreme Court will this week debate the legality of the government’s proposal to send migrants who have sought asylum to Rwanda.
The Conservative government is appealing a ruling in June by an appeals court that the policy, which seeks to deter migrants from undertaking the dangerous journey across the English Channel on flimsy rafts, is illegal because the country in eastern Africa is not a safe place to send them.
In three days of arguments starting Monday, the government is expected to assert that its policy is safe, while lawyers for migrants from Vietnam, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Sudan will argue that it is illegal and inhumane.
The hearing comes as Europe and the United States grapple with a surge in migrants fleeing war, violence, repression and devastating floods and droughts caused by global warming.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to “stop the boats” as a top priority to combat unauthorized immigration. It is estimated that more than 25,000 people arrived in the United Kingdom by boat until October 2, a 25% decrease compared to the 33,000 who made the journey in the same period last year.
The idea of the policy is to thwart criminal gangs transporting migrants along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes by making Britain an unattractive destination due to the possibility of being rerouted to Rwanda.
Attempts to cross the channel can be deadly. In August, six migrants died and about 50 had to be rescued when their boat capsized after leaving the northern coast of France. In November 2021, 27 people died when their boat capsized.
The government insists that the policy is an equitable way to deal with the flow of people arriving illegally, and that Rwanda is a safe “third country” — that is, a country that is not the country of origin of those seeking asylum.
Britain and Rwanda reached a deal more than a year ago to send migrants to the African country and allow them to stay if their asylum claims are approved.
So far, no people have been sent there, while the policy is debated by the courts.
2023-10-08 14:12:39
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