U.K. top court rejects plan to deport migrants to Rwanda; PM Undeterred

The UK Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a controversial British government plan to send asylum-seekers who arrive in the country as stowaways or in boats to Rwanda is unlawful.

Five justices unanimously found that Rwanda is not a safe destination for migrants, writing in their decision that asylum-seekers redirected to the East African nation would be “at real risk of ill-treatment.”

Despite the verdict, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged on Wednesday that his government will keep seeking ways to send some undocumented immigrants on a one-way journey to Rwanda.

The ruling, Sunak said, “was not what we wanted,” adding that his administration would broker a treaty with Rwanda to address the court’s worries, and warning he would consider rewriting British law and backing out of international human rights agreements.

Human rights groups have condemned Sunak’s positions on immigration.

Amnesty International said the nation’s leaders should “draw a line under a disgraceful chapter in the U.K.’s political history.”

The U.K. branch of ActionAid, a global humanitarian charity, struck a similar tone, saying the Supreme Court’s ruling represents “British values of compassion and dignity.”

Thousands of migrants from around the world travel to northern France each year in hope of crossing the Channel. Sunak and his ministers have consistently pledged to “stop the boats,” making the phrase a key part of their communications.