London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Rwanda migrant flights plan legally viable, government lawyers say

Rwanda migrant flights plan legally viable, government lawyers say

The government has clear legal powers to send migrants to Rwanda under its controversial relocation scheme, its lawyers have told the High Court.
On the third day of a legal challenge against the policy, lawyers for the Home Secretary argued concerns from the United Nations were misplaced.

The plan to fly migrants to Rwanda is on hold until the outcome of the case.

Liz Truss and her new Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, support the plan begun by Priti Patel and Boris Johnson.

The government is facing a highly unusual five-day legal challenge to the policy involving at least 10 migrants, campaign groups Care4Calais and Detention Action, and the Public and Commercial Services Union, which represents the vast majority of UK Border Force staff.

The claimants argue the home secretary has no legal right to send migrants to Rwanda and, furthermore, deciding the country is safe was irrational.

Evidence already aired in court has included warnings from a handpicked government adviser that the African country's regime has murdered political opponents.

But opening the government's defence of the policy, Lord David Pannick QC said it was clear the home secretary could send migrants to another country provided she could show it was safe under a law dating back to Tony Blair's Labour government.

That 2004 legislation gave ministers the power to identify "safe third countries" and to relocate asylum seekers there, rather than handle their claims for refuge in the UK.

The law could only be used if the government was sure migrants would not be sent on to another more dangerous country - and Lord Pannick said the government had obtained those assurances.

"There is no other criteria stated by Parliament," said Lord Pannick.

"It is not for the court to insert more criteria so as to limit the [home secretary's powers].

"The [international law] obligation on the UK is to either assess the claim or return the asylum seeker to a safe third country," said Lord Pannick.

"If we choose to return the individual to a third country that is safe, then we, the UK, have complied with our obligations under the Refugee Convention."

On Tuesday, the court heard the UN's Refugee Agency believes Rwanda has neither the capacity nor the expertise to deal with the numbers that could be sent.

Furthermore, it warned the government of Rwanda may not abide by the agreement it had struck with the UK.

But government lawyers said documents from the Rwandan government showed it has given point-by-point assurances that all migrants will be fairly treated.

"The home secretary has received detailed assurances from the government of Rwanda regarding both the processing of relocated individuals' asylum claims and the reception and ongoing treatment of relocated individuals," said written submissions.

"The court can and should place great weight on those assurances. Rwanda is a signatory to both the Refugee Convention and the UN Convention Against Torture and a key Commonwealth partner of the UK."

The case continues until Friday - with a second stage expected to take place in October.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×