Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit allowing Britons to fly migrants to Rwanda

The British government wants to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel with a rigid asylum policy.

Supreme Court dismisses lawsuit allowing Britons to fly migrants to Rwanda

The British government wants to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel with a rigid asylum policy. The plan to fly illegal refugees to Rwanda is now clearing an important legal hurdle. The first flight could start on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has given the green light to a controversial plan to fly illegal asylum seekers to Rwanda. In the evening, the High Court in London refused to issue an injunction to stop the first flight scheduled for Tuesday with around 30 asylum seekers to the East African country. It is in the public interest that Home Secretary Priti Patel can implement immigration policy decisions, Justice Jonathan Swift argued.

The plaintiffs - several refugee organizations and a trade union - can appeal the verdict. An appeals court could then deal with the case on Monday. The plaintiffs wanted to stop the plans with the argument that deportation to the East African country was unsafe.

The agreement with Rwanda provides for people who have arrived illegally in Great Britain to be flown to the East African country so that they can apply for asylum there. The conservative government wants to use this to deter refugees. London argues that the project aims to take action against smuggling gangs and make unwanted entry via the English Channel unattractive.

According to Johnson's plans, Rwanda will initially receive 120 million pounds (about 144 million euros) 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. Human rights activists are of the opinion that the agreement violates the right to asylum.

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. Since the beginning of the year there are already 10,000. "The increase in dangerous crossings is unacceptable," a British government spokesman said on Wednesday, according to the BBC. "Not only are they a blatant abuse of our immigration system, they risk lives and hamper our ability to help refugees entering the UK through safe and legal routes."