The British government has cleared an important legal hurdle with its plan to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda. The High Court in London ruled on Friday that the first flight planned for Tuesday could take place.
Judge Jonathan Swift dismissed a request by critics of the plan to stop the flight with an injunction. Swift said it was in the public interest for Home Secretary Priti Patel to implement immigration policy decisions. However, the judge allowed an appeal. Charities and a union had tried to stop the plans, arguing that deportation to the East African country was unsafe.
The government of Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to take action against gangs of people smugglers and make unwanted entry via the English Channel unattractive. According to Johnson’s plans, Rwanda will initially receive £120m (€140.1m) for the cooperation. According to the Prime Minister, the focus is on single young men – especially those who are seen as economic migrants. They should be able to settle in Rwanda.
Last year more than 28,000 migrants and refugees crossed the Channel to Britain, most in small boats. Immigration was a key issue in the Brexit vote.
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