Will appeal court’s decision to strike down Rwanda policy, says Rishi Sunak
The Hindu
In a blow to the Rishi Sunak government, the U.K. Court of Appeal has ruled against a government plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda. Mr. Sunak, has said he will seek to appeal the decision in the country’s Supreme Court. Mr Sunak said that while he respects the court he “fundamentally” disagrees with their conclusions. He said he believed “there is no real risk” that those asylees who are relocated to Rwanda would be sent to third countries.
In a blow to the Rishi Sunak government, the U.K. Court of Appeal has ruled against a government plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda. Mr. Sunak, has said he will seek to appeal the decision in the country’s Supreme Court.
Mr Sunak said that while he respects the court he “fundamentally” disagrees with their conclusions. He said he believed “there is no real risk” that those asylees who are relocated to Rwanda would be sent to third countries.
The ‘Rwanda policy’ as it is known, is part of the British government’s “stop the boats” strategy, i.e., a plan to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel to enter the U.K. The policy — which seeks to send potential asylees to Rwanda while their applications are adjudicated — applies to other asylum seekers in the U.K. as well. The U.K. High Court had ruled last December that it was legal — a decision which was appealed by a charity, Asylum Aid.
The High Court’s ruling that Rwanda was a safe country was overturned by a 2: 1 majority verdict in the Court of Appeals on Thursday. The Lord Chief Justice dissented from the majority.
The court said there were “substantial grounds” for believing that individuals sent to Rwanda would be returned to their home countries where they face persecution or inhumane treatment when they in fact have a good claim for asylum.
“…The high court’s decision that Rwanda was a Safe Third Country is reversed and that unless and until the deficiencies in its asylum processes are corrected, removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda will be unlawful,” one of the judges said.
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.