British High Court rules deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda lawful

By Mehmet Solmaz

LONDON (AA) - The British government has beaten back a legal challenge to its irregular migrant policy as the High Court in London ruled that plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda while their status is decided are lawful in broad principle.

In a 139-page ruling, Lord Justice Lewis said the controversial policy, first introduced under then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was "consistent with the refugee convention.” Although judges dismissed the challenges against the policy as a whole, they found that the government had failed to consider individual cases of eight asylum seekers.

A decision on whether to allow an appeal has been put off until January.

The plan was initially challenged with lawyers on behalf of asylum seekers arguing that the government had ignored evidence that the Central African country violates human rights.

The Rwanda plan would see asylum seekers who crossed the English Channel in small boats deported to Rwanda, where their claims would be processed. It was suspended amid a slew of legal challenges.