Home Office to launch appeal in attempt to save Rwanda policy

The Home Office will today launch an appeal after a court ruled its policy to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda was unlawful.

The government wants to send tens of thousands of migrants more than 4,000 miles away to Rwanda as part of a £120m deal agreed with the government in Kigali last year.

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The policy was introduced under Boris Johnson, but has been pushed forward by his successors as part of their plans to tackle small boat crossings in the Channel.

However, critics have claimed the policy breaks international human rights laws, and no one has been sent to the country yet after ongoing legal challenges in the courts.

Last week, three judges overturned a High Court ruling that previously said the east African nation could be considered a “safe third country” for migrants to be sent to.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he “fundamentally disagreed” with the decision, while Home Secretary Suella Braverman called it “madness”.

The PM’s official spokesperson confirmed the government would be submitting an appeal to the Supreme Court today to meet the court’s deadline and to try and reverse the ruling.