Rishi Sunak’s Migration Strategy in Disarray After Damning Ruling
The UK Supreme Court, in a historic verdict, has ruled that the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful. This decision, made unanimously by the justices, is a severe blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s migration policy. The court cited concerns about Rwanda’s human rights record and its understanding of the Refugee Convention.
The ruling comes a day after former Home Secretary Suella Braverman accused Sunak of betraying his promise to control illegal migration. She criticised his rejection of options to block the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act. Braverman’s comments highlight the deep divisions within the government over migration policies.
Lord Reed, delivering the judgement, emphasised the legal test was whether there were substantial grounds for believing that asylum seekers sent to Rwanda would be at real risk of ill-treatment. The Supreme Court agreed with the Court of Appeal that there were such grounds.
Reacting to the verdict, Sonya Sceats, CEO of Freedom from Torture, called it a victory for reason and compassion. She criticised the UK Government’s deal with Rwanda as immoral and unlawful. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats urged new Home Secretary James Cleverly to focus on fixing the broken asylum system. They labelled the Rwanda scheme as immoral, unworkable, and costly.
Detention Action also welcomed the decision, urging the government to abandon this policy and not repeat the mistake with another country. Their director, James Wilson, expressed relief that asylum seekers will not be handed over to an authoritarian regime.
The judgement has significant implications for the UK’s migration policies and its international standing on human rights issues. Story Source
