The European Court of Human Rights has made a dramatic 11-hour intervention in the government’s controversial plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda that could launch the inaugural flight to the East African nation.
Lawyers for one of the asylum seekers who are due to fly this evening have successfully filed an emergency application with the ECHR after exhausting their applications in the UK courts.
The decision is a blow to Boris Johnson’s flagship policy of sending asylum seekers 4,000 miles to the East African country.
It comes after the Prime Minister threatened to remove the United Kingdom from the ECHR and accused lawyers of aiding criminals who exploit refugees in the Canal.
In an initial ruling, a letter from the court stated that the asylum seeker should not be withdrawn on Tuesday evening. Sources have stated that the above reasons apply to all asylum seekers facing deportation, so all asylum seekers who have to board the plane tonight can rely on this court decision.
The court said it had paid special attention to UNHCR evidence that asylum seekers transferred from the UK to Rwanda would not have access to fair and efficient determination procedures.
The ruling also cited Judge Swift’s ruling, which, while refusing to issue a court order to stop tonight’s flight, said the question of whether treating Rwanda as a safe third country was irrational or was based on “insufficient research” led to “serious”. probable issues ”.
More details coming soon