Supreme Court will not hear Rwanda appeal paving way for flight this evening
Home Office plan to deport migrants to Rwanda continues to face legal objections on eve of first flight
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Your support makes all the difference.The Supreme Court has ruled that they will not consider an appeal to the decision that the Home Office’s Rwanda flight should go ahead.
Their ruling paves the way for the flight to take-off this evening.
A decision read out in the Supreme Court decided that the Court of Appeal had not erred in their decision yesterday to allow the Rwanda flight to go forward.
The court heard that the Home Secretary Priti Patel had given assurances that, if the deportation was found to be unlawful at a later date, she would comply with any court order to bring back the refugees from Rwanda to the UK.
Earlier this morning, Downing Street had acknowledged that the planned flight carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda may not go ahead this evening.
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Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson said he “can’t be definitive” on whether the flight will depart as planned, saying it was dependent on the result of court cases being heard today.
Three Iranian asylum seekers are due to be on the flight today, BBC Persian has reported.
All three are currently in Colnbrook detention centre at Heathrow Airport. One of the Iranians told the BBC that there were “sad and helpless” in the face of the decision.
Separately, an Iranian Kurd had his flight appeal rejected at the High Court earlier today despite having sister in the UK.
Mr Justice Swift ruled in the High Court that the man’s removal to Rwanda would not alter the quality or nature of the relationship with his sister.
The Iranian had brought the claim against deportation on the grounds that it would infringe his right to a family life.
He had also asked not to be deported due to his mental health, having suffered PTSD in Turkey while travelling to the UK.
Mr Justice Swift said: “I note that the claimant will be able to maintain the relationship with his sister in the same way that relationship has been conducted since 2010.”
Mr Justice Swift also said that the man will have access to healthcare in Rwanda.
“The application for interim relief is refused,” he concluded.
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