By Ebi Kesiena
The High Court in London has allowed asylum seekers in the UK and the charities supporting them to appeal against a ruling that found the UK government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda to be lawful.
Recall that earlier, in December 2022, the High Court ruled that the government’s asylum plan for Rwanda did not breach national laws or the UN Refugee Convention.
The court’s decision was met with disappointment and Asylum Aid – a charity organization which offers legal advice and support to people seeking refuge in the UK, applied for permission to appeal the December judgment, arguing the High Court had “erred” in its ruling.
The organization claims the Rwanda asylum procedure is unfair because it gives asylum seekers, generally new arrivals to the UK who are in detention just seven days to grapple with the fact that they are being considered for deportation to Rwanda.
According to Asylum Aid, this short time frame would not give asylum seekers enough time to find legal representation to argue their case.
After a hearing at the High Court on Monday, Judges Clive Lewis and Jonathan Swift granted permission to legally challenge Britain’s Rwanda asylum policy at the Court of Appeal.
The ruling means that no deportation flights will take off from the UK to Rwanda anytime soon, and asylum seekers can challenge the entire deportation plan in the Court of Appeal.
