The UK Supreme Court has declared the UK government’s policy of sending certain asylum seekers to Rwanda illegal, BBC reports.
The court ruled that there was a chance that any asylum applicant brought there would be sent back home, in violation of both UK and international human rights legislation. It also mentioned Rwanda’s history of mistreating refugees and its dismal record on human rights as reasons for its decision.
Announced in April 2022, the five-year pilot called for sending certain asylum seekers to Rwanda to file claims for protection there. They may have been awarded refugee status under the proposal, allowing them to remain in Rwanda. If not, they may have requested refuge in a different “safe third country” or applied to live there under other circumstances.
