A British plane bound for Rwanda with seven illegal immigrants on board was stopped at the last minute

Veronica R. Hahn (London);

Rwanda; United kingdom ; Illegal immigration ;

2022-06-17 10:27:00

The Human Rights Court in Strasbourg intervened.

Under tragic circumstances, the first British deportation flight to Rwanda, which could have been discussed under the new asylum policy recently announced by the UK, failed on Tuesday night. The British government’s plan was to take unmarried men arriving illegally on small boats or in boxes of trucks to the East African country, 6,500 km away, after their asylum claims were rejected.

According to the idea that was presented in parallel in mid-April in London and in the capital of Rwanda, Kigali, relocated refugees can start a new life under a five-year support programme. Those deemed inadmissible will be deported to their place of origin. As a first step, the British government prepared to honor Rwanda’s cooperation with development aid of 120 million pounds. London’s confidence in Kigali is evidenced by the fact that the Commonwealth Summit will take place here from 20-25 June, when Charles, Prince of Wales, will represent the United Kingdom. The secret opinion of the British heir to the throne, according to which the Rwandan deportation plan was disgusting, was naturally leaked, much to the chagrin of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The main objection against Rwanda is the treatment of human rights, especially LGBTQ+.

According to the official justification of the British government, the entire system aims to eliminate the business model developed by human traffickers that puts gullible people in life-threatening situations. The severity of the problem is highlighted by the fact that on the planned day of the first take-off, 444 people sailed to the island country on life-threatening boats.

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The original political concept introduced in the spring called for the resettlement of tens of thousands of other refugees, but according to internal accounts from the British Home Office, at best, a hundred people could have been sent there this year.

However, it has not yet been possible to start the first flight, although the deportation of the seven people on board the Boeing 765, which was ready to take off from Boscombe Down military base near Salisbury, on Tuesday, was approved by the Appellate Body. The competent British Supreme and then the highest legal bodies. However, at the last moment, the night order of the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg halted the operation. The Governing Council is independent from the European Union, so the UK is a member as well, and according to 2020 data, the fewest complaints have been lodged here among the 47 member states. According to a report by The Times, the court refused to reveal the name of the judge who made the late decision on Tuesday, but Carlo Ranzoni, the Swiss representative of Liechtenstein, and Peter Baxolay, of Hungary, can be considered among the three alternate judges. For temporary measures on an exception basis. The measure did not approve the deportation of an Iraqi, but it did not describe the regime itself as illegal. However, illegal immigrants cannot be deported until British courts have reviewed the entire body of legislation. This is expected by the end of July.

Home Secretary Priti Patel and her staff, who have been working hard on the issue, have long suspected that legal interference could thwart the idea. According to indications, the launch of another flight is not imminent. The immediate goal is to remove legal loopholes and review immigration law, but the future of the relationship with the European Court of Human Rights is also emerging.

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