The first flight taking asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda is set to take off today. Human rights campaigners had launched a legal bid to stop the one-way trip but the Court of Appeal ruled that it ‘cannot interfere’ with the government’s plan.
The flight to the capital city Kigali is scheduled to depart with seven or eight asylum seekers onboard. Originally, dozens of passengers were due to be on the flight but many won their individual appeals against deportation. More legal challenges are set to be heard before it takes off.
Senior Church of England leaders described the controversial plan as an ‘immoral policy that shames Britain’. In a letter to The Times, signed by the archbishops of Canterbury and York and more than 20 other bishops, they said: “The shame is our own, because our Christian heritage should inspire us to treat asylum seekers with compassion, fairness and justice, as we have for centuries.”
Read more: Rwanda plan to deport asylum seekers faces more legal challenges ahead of first flight
What is the UK Rwanda plan?
Today's flight is due to be the first in a five-year, £120m trial, in which some asylum seekers deemed to have entered the UK illegally will be given a one-way ticket to Rwanda , in east Africa, to claim refuge there. The government says the scheme, which was announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April, will discourage others from crossing the English Channel, breaking people trafficking business models.
How many asylum seekers will be sent to Rwanda?
The Prime Minister said anyone entering the UK illegally from the start of the year could be flown to the east African country as part of the plan. There is no limit on numbers.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, speaking to BBC Breakfast, said: "If people aren't on the flight today, they will be on subsequent flights to Rwanda.” She added the scheme was a ‘key part of our strategy for tackling the appalling people smugglers who are trading in people's hopes and dreams’. Its aim was to make sure people ‘have a safe future in Rwanda’, she said.
Which asylum seekers will be sent to Rwanda?
The scheme is thought to be targeted mostly at single, young migrants who arrive through ‘illegal, dangerous or unnecessary methods’, which includes small boats or hidden in lorries. Those deported under the scheme will get accommodation and support while the Rwandan government considers their application.
If they are successful, they can stay in the country with up to five years' access to education and support. If not, they could face deportation from Rwanda.
The scheme has faced opposition from more than 160 charities and campaign groups. But the Home Office says the plan is in the public interest.
