British Home Secretary Priti Patel has sharply criticized the European Court of Human Rights, which recently canceled the first trip of an asylum seeker to Rwanda. In Britain’s Telegraph, Patel described the court’s ruling as “outrageous”.
The minister questions the court’s motives, and considers that the method is “opaque.” The first flight, Tuesday, will take refugees from the UK to Rwanda. British judges decided to allow the flight to depart, but the European Court of Human Rights ruled there was a “real risk of irreparable harm” to the refugees.
After the European Court ruling – to which the UK remains bound despite Brexit – Minister Patel immediately made clear that the government would continue to plan further trips. After the decision, Conservative parties also voted to turn their backs on the court, but Justice Minister Dominic Raab said on Thursday such plans were not on the table. However, it has been stated that the European Court of Human Rights has gone beyond its scope.
Individual lawsuits
The UK has identified around 130 asylum seekers to be flown to Rwanda under the controversial scheme. Dozens of asylum seekers have filed and won individual lawsuits, so they didn’t have to be on a plane.
Prime Minister Johnson announced the plan in April, and says it is aimed at discouraging smuggling of high-risk people through the canal. The United Kingdom entered into an agreement with Rwanda in this regard, in which it was agreed that the country would receive illegal immigrants and asylum seekers for a fee. Johnson’s plan sparked a storm of protest from human rights organizations and the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, among others.
