European Court of Human Rights blocks UK deportation of migrants

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has halted the U.K. government’s attempt to deport immigrants and asylum seekers, who had crossed the Dover Strait to arrive in the U.K., to Rwanda.

According to BBC, the ECHR issued an order to the U.K. government to immediately stop plans to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda on Tuesday (local time). Accordingly, the flight that was scheduled to leave at the U.K. Air Forces base with seven refugee applicants stopped minutes after takeoff.

The ECHR said that the order was issued as an Iraqi man was “in an actual state of risk that could result in irrevocable damage.” The organization also considered that it would be difficult for them to receive fair and efficient refugee review in Rwanda, which was also admitted by the U.K. Supreme Court that it would be controversial to be considered as a safe third country.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed an agreement with Rwanda to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda on condition of providing development aid of 120 million pounds (around 186.5 billion won). The U.K. government said that this was to prevent life-risking asylum seeking and human trafficking, but human rights groups criticized the move as “irresponsible”

The U.K. government called the ECHR move “disappointing” and said that it would begin preparing the next flight, hinting that it would go ahead with its plans. The U.K. Supreme Court will determine the legitimacy of the Rwanda Immigration Plan next month. Last year, the number of illegal immigrants that arrived in the U.K. by small boats reached 28,526, around 20,000 higher than that of the previous year.


newsoo@donga.com