British PM: Gov’t to appeal against court decision, will take it to Supreme Court

The British government will seek to appeal against a court decision which rules that plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda are unlawful, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Thursday.

In a press release, Sunak said he “fundamentally disagrees” with the ruling and said the government will challenge it in the Supreme Court.

The charity which brought the challenge welcomed the ruling.

A spokesperson for Asylum Aid said the decision was a “vindication of the importance of the rule of law and basic fairness”.

Meanwhile, Sunak said that while he respects the court’s decision he will do “whatever is necessary” to disrupt criminal gangs operating small boat crossings.

He said: “I strongly believe the Rwandan government has provided the assurances necessary to ensure there is no real risk that asylum-seekers relocated under the Rwanda policy would be wrongly returned to third countries, something that the Lord Chief Justice agrees with.

“Rwanda is a safe country, the High Court agreed. The UNHCR have their own refugee scheme for Libyan refugees in Rwanda.

We will now seek permission to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court,” Sunak added.

The case was brought by 10 people from countries including Syria, Iraq and Albania, who arrived in the UK in small boats, alongside Asylum Aid, who argued the policy was unlawful.

The decision on whether Rwanda could be deemed a safe third country for asylum seekers to have their claims processed is partly based on whether there is a risk that people could be forced back to the country from where they were originally fleeing.

Source: Kuwait News Agency