14th June, 2022
Britain’s first flight to take asylum seekers to Rwanda has been grounded, following last-minute interventions by the European Court of Human Rights.
Government sources have confirmed to the PA news agency that all migrants have been removed from the plane which was set to take off on Tuesday night.
The European Court of Human Rights confirmed that it had granted an urgent interim measure in regards to an Iraqi national, and it is understood the Court was considering a number of further requests.
A charity and a government official had first hinted that the flight might not proceed.
The plan has been criticised by liberal and left-wing opponents, charities, and religious leaders who say it is inhumane.
The migrants had arrived illegally by crossing the English Channel in small boats from Europe.
In the last few days at least 30 individuals scheduled to be on the first flight successfully argued that they should not be deported to Rwanda on health or human rights grounds.
That meant that just a handful were due to be on board the plane on Tuesday when it took off from an air force base in southwest England.
But, hours before it was due to leave, the European court which rules on possible human rights violations said it had granted an injunction in relation to an Iraqi migrant to stop his deportation.
Its ruling said that “the applicant should not be removed until the expiry of a period of three weeks following the delivery of the final domestic decision in the ongoing judicial review proceedings.”
Britain says the 120-million-pound ($148 million) deal struck with Rwanda will stem the flow of dangerous cross-Channel trips and smash the business model of people-smuggling networks.
But the United Nations’ refugee chief called it “catastrophic”.
The entire leadership of the Church of England denounced it as immoral and shameful, while media reports have said Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, had privately described the plan as “appalling”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who said his government would not be deterred by criticism, “some of it from slightly unexpected quarters,” had earlier commented that legal bids were undermining attempts to support safe routes for asylum seekers.
Asked if Britain might withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, he told the BBC: “It is certainly the case that… the legal world is very good at picking up ways of trying to stop the government from upholding what we think is a sensible law.
“Will it be necessary to change some laws to help us as we go along? It may very well be and all these options are under constant review.”
Shah said Britain would join Belarus and Russia in not being part of the convention if it did opt out. Last week, Russia’s parliament passed bills to end the European court’s jurisdiction.
According to official figures, more than 28,500 people were detected arriving in Britain on small boats last year and the government says its strategy will stop these.
Dozens of migrants, including women and young children, arrived on Tuesday, a Reuters witness in the Channel port of Dover said.
Human rights groups said the policy will put migrants at risk.
The UN refugee agency said Rwanda, whose own human rights record is under scrutiny, does not have the capacity to process the claims properly.