A British charity opposing a plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has called on Britain’s new government to formally scrap the policy as legal action continues despite new Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s pledge to scrap the idea, Reuters reports.
Starmer said on Saturday that the Rwanda plan, first announced by the previous Conservative government in 2022, was “dead and buried” in his first major policy statement since winning a snap election.
The Conservatives had proposed tackling illegal migration with a programme to send refugees to Rwanda. The first deportation flight was due to take place as early as July, but the Labour government was one of the first to repeal the law.
On Tuesday, three asylum seekers facing deportation to Rwanda dropped their legal challenges to the policy at London’s High Court after government lawyers said they would not be sent to Africa and their asylum claims would be considered instead.
However, a separate legal battle with the charity Asylum Aid will continue.
Lawyers representing the UK Home Office said in court papers that “there is no prospect of removal to Rwanda in the foreseeable future”, but the new government needs time to fully develop its asylum policy. The charity’s lawyer Charlotte Kilroy said in court:
Asylum Aid is surprised that it is necessary to keep their proceedings alive given that the prime minister said that the Rwanda policy is “dead and buried.” But, in the light of the fact that the Home Secretary wishes to have time to consider whether that is in fact the case, this pragmatic compromise has been reached.
Asylum Aid said in a statement:
The Home Secretary should now urgently confirm that there will be no flights ever, withdraw the policy and all Rwanda notices of intent.
The Home Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
