Strasbourg: Commissioner of the European Council for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, said: “The British government must refrain from deporting people in the Rwandan policy and effectively undermining the independence of the judiciary.”
On Monday, the British parliament approved a plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda pending a decision on their asylum applications.
“Rwanda law often allows British authorities to implement a policy of expelling people to Rwanda without assessing their asylum claims.”
O’Flaherty also warned that the bill would prevent English courts from “a full and independent review of matters brought before them”.
Criticized by UN rights experts and groups supporting asylum seekers, Rwanda’s plan has faced legal challenges since it was first proposed in 2022.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government is under pressure to reduce the number of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel from northern France, especially after Britain announced a tougher approach to immigration as it exits the European Union.
