LONDON: The UK government vowed on Wednesday to persevere with a controversial plan to send migrants to Rwanda, despite the Supreme Court upholding a lower court ruling that it was unlawful and should not go ahead.
In a major setback for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a five-judge panel at the UK's highest court unanimously sided with an earlier Court of Appeal decision that the policy was incompatible with Britain's international obligations.
In a 56-page ruling, the judges agreed there were "substantial grounds" to believe Rwanda could forcibly return asylum-seekers and refugees to a country where they could face persecution.
But within hours of the long-awaited judgment, Sunak and his ministers said the government would press ahead with finalising a "new treaty" with Rwanda to address those concerns.
"We anticipated this judgment... and for the last few months have been working on a plan to provide the certainty that the courts demand," newly appointed interior minister James Cleverly told MPs.
The new treaty will "make it absolutely clear" to British and European courts that the Rwanda policy "will be consistent with international law", he added.
In a call shortly after the ruling, Sunak and Rwandan President Paul Kagame "reiterated their firm commitment to making our migration partnership work", Downing Street said.
"Both leaders... agreed to take the necessary steps to ensure this is a robust and lawful policy and to stop the boats as soon as possible," Sunak's office added.
The Supreme Court decision could widen rifts in the ruling Conservative party and prompt renewed demands from right-wingers that Britain withdraw from the ECHR.
In parliament on Wednesday, Sunak told MPs he was "prepared to change our laws and revisit those international relationships" if "domestic legal frameworks or international conventions" frustrated the plans.
Outspoken Tory party deputy chairman Lee Anderson said ministers should "ignore the laws" and deport migrants the day they arrive.
He branded the court judgment a "dark day for the British people" and said the government should "just put the planes in the air now and send them to Rwanda".
The main Labour opposition, riding high in the polls, accused Sunak of failing to "have any serious plan to tackle dangerous boat crossings". — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
