Bethany Rielly
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A GROUP of asylum-seekers have been granted permission to appeal against a High Court ruling that found the government’s Rwanda migration pact to be lawful.
In December, Mr Justice Swift and Lord Justice Lewis ruled that the overall policy is legal, but quashed the deportations of eight individual asylum-seekers, ruling that the Home Office had failed to “properly consider” their cases.
On Monday, the judges allowed a bid by several asylum-seekers and charity Asylum Aid to challenge aspects of their ruling in the Court of Appeal.
Civil servants’ union PCS, and charities Detention Action and Care4Calais were ruled to have no legal standing to continue fighting the case.
The asylum-seekers were granted permission to appeal on several grounds including whether the High Court was wrong to decide that the policy is not “systematically unfair.”
The Court of Appeal will also be asked to consider whether the Home Office was right to rely on written assurances given by Rwanda that asylum-seekers will be treated fairly.
During the case, campaigners had argued that those deported to Rwanda would be at risk of mistreatment and being sent back to countries where they would face harm, a crime known as refoulement.
However the judges said in their ruling that the Home Office can rely on Rwanda’s assurances because funding provided by Britain to the African country provides a “real incentive against any mistreatment … of any transferred person.”
Responding to Monday’s ruling, Care4Calais founder Clare Moseley said: “We remain committed to ensuring that no person who has suffered the horrors of war, torture and human rights abuses will be forcibly deported to Rwanda where their safety cannot be guaranteed.”
She added: “The Rwanda plan won’t end small-boat crossings, it won’t stop people-smugglers and it won’t keep refugees safe.
“There is a kinder and more effective way; giving safe passage to refugees in Calais.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said last month that she hopes to see flights to Rwanda “as soon as possible,” claiming the policy will act as a deterrence to stop small-boat crossings.
