THE European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has intervened at the last minute in the UK Government’s scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, which could ground the plan’s inaugural flight.
Lawyers representing one of the asylum seekers set to fly on Tuesday evening have succeeded in making an emergency application to the ECHR after running out of options with UK courts.
The last-ditch move will come as a blow to Boris Johnson as his controversial flagship policy was set to commence with its first flight after a severe public backlash to the plan.
It follows Johnson threatening to take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights as he accused lawyers of aiding human traffickers who exploit refugees trying to cross the Channel.
A letter from the courts from an initial decision said that the asylum seekers should not be sent on the flight. In its ruling, the court took particular account of evidence provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that those taken to Rwanda would not have access to fair and efficient procedures for the determination.
The court’s decision also cited a previous ruling from Justice Swift, who refused to grant an injunction to halt the flight but added that the question of treating Rwanda as a safe country was irrational or based on “insufficient enquiry” and gave rise to “serious triable issues”.
The news comes after protesters demonstrated outside of an immigration removal centre in an attempt to stop vans from taking asylum seekers to Gatwick Airport for their flight to Rwanda.
