Lawyers secure bail for 50 migrants detained for Rwanda deportation flights
The deportation flights to Rwanda from the UK are scheduled to start in July, contingent upon the Conservative Party winning the election.
Fifty asylum seekers, who were set to be deported to Rwanda, have been released on bail, according to their lawyers.
Duncan Lewis Solicitors stated that many of the individuals detained are survivors of torture and trafficking.
These asylum seekers were meant to be on the deportation flights to Rwanda, which the government plans to launch in July.
“The Tribunal granted bail based on the assessment that the detainees were not a flight risk and removal was not immediate,” the solicitors explained.
It was revealed that these released asylum seekers were among many who were detained at the end of April without decisions on their asylum claims or the safety of their removal to Rwanda.
Timing
The government approved the Rwanda safety bill on April 25 and aims to initiate deportation flights to Rwanda in July. This plan is seen as a deterrent by Downing Street to discourage illegal immigrants from using the English Channel route to enter Britain.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faced questions about the Rwanda flights’ timing following the election announcement.
Mr. Sunak confirmed that deportation flights to Rwanda will proceed “post-election” if he is re-elected.
The lawyers revealed that the detained asylum seekers’ removal was not imminent at the time of detention and certainly not after the PM’s call for a general election.
They criticized the unnecessary and prolonged detention of these vulnerable individuals and called for the funding wasted on their detention to be calculated.
Other political parties, like Labour and the Liberal Democrats, have vowed to abandon the Rwanda deportation plan if they win the election.
Immigration Schemes
In May, the Home Office pushed for the Rwanda deportation flights to begin as soon as possible.
Home Secretary James Cleverly stated, “Those with no right to remain in the UK will be sent to a safe third country, receive support, and have the opportunity to rebuild their lives in Rwanda.”
As part of a voluntary removal program, the UK also relocated a failed asylum seeker to Rwanda, offering financial aid of up to £3,000 depending on the return country.
Asylum Aid, a UK charity, has legally challenged the government’s Rwanda policy at the High Court, arguing that it does not address the risk of human rights abuses in Rwanda.
The Home Office has agreed to amend parts of the policy concerning individuals’ safety concerns about Rwanda.
