U.K.'s Rwanda asylum seeker deportation plan is lawful, court rules
The Hindu
The asylum policy would involve Britain sending tens of thousands of migrants who arrive on its shores more than 6,400 km to Rwanda.
Britain's plan to send migrants to Rwanda is lawful, London's High Court ruled on Monday, in a victory for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who has made a high-stakes political promise to tackle the record number of migrant arrivals in small boats.
ALSO READ | Opinion: Everything about the U.K.-Rwanda refugee deterrent plan is flawed
The policy, which was announced in April, would involve Britain sending tens of thousands of migrants who arrive on its shores more than 4,000 miles away (6,400 km) to Rwanda.
Announcing the court's decision, judges Clive Lewis and Jonathan Swift said it was lawful for Britain to make arrangements with the Rwanda government to send asylum seekers to the country for their asylum claims to be determined there.
"The (British) government has made arrangements with the government of Rwanda which are intended to ensure that asylum claims of people relocated to Rwanda are properly determined there," the judges said.
"In those circumstances, the relocation of asylum seekers to Rwanda is consistent with the Refugee Convention and with the statutory and other legal obligations on the government."
The Prime Minister is under growing pressure from his own members of Parliament and the public to deal with the arrivals.
With a new government in place in Delhi, Singapore hopes to schedule the Ministerial Roundtable with India shortly, says Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. In an exclusive interview, he speaks about the impact of the elections on ties, the “missed opportunity” of RCEP and the new buzz around Andhra Pradesh’s capital Amaravati.