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The Court of Appeal in London has ruled that the UK government’s plan to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful because the African nation is not considered safe enough, in a setback for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The scheme is a centrepiece of the government’s policy on illegal immigration, which aims to drastically cut the number of people making dangerous boat journeys across the Channel between France and the UK.
The High Court had previously ruled that the controversial scheme, announced last year, was lawful, but the decision was challenged by human rights organisations.
The appeal court judges ruled that “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”.
The verdict was not unanimous, with the Lord Chief Justice dissenting from the majority opinion, a rare instance in English courts. The government is expected to appeal to the UK Supreme Court and lawyers said it could be heard in the autumn.
An economic impact report released by the government this week showed that the cost of deporting migrants to Rwanda would cost about £170,000 per person.
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