LGBTQ charities celebrate defeat of UK government’s ‘appalling’ Rwanda policy
"A day for national celebration"
LGBTQ charities are celebrating the defeat of the UK Government’s policy to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
On Wednesday (15 November) the UK’s Supreme Court ruled the policy unlawful. It is the latest defeat for the government over the policy. It would have seen asylum seekers sent to the African country while their claims were processed.
The “appalling” plan was unanimously defeated by five Supreme Court Justices. One of those, Lord Reed, ruled that “there were substantial grounds for believing that a real risk of refoulement.”
“Our beneficiaries can take a breath of relief, but they are still not safe”
Following the announcement, Micro Rainbow and Rainbow Migration, two charities that work with LGBTQ+ asylum seekers, celebrated the win as “a day for national celebration.”
Leila Zadeh, the Executive Director at Rainbow Migration added: “The judges at the UK’s highest court have stopped this trade in humans and many people in the UK who have fled unimaginable horrors can breathe a sigh of relief.”
Meanwhile, Micro Rainbow’s CEO, Sebastian Rocca, said: “Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s commitment to pushing ahead with the Rwanda plan risked turning the UK into a country famous for its cruel policies and attitudes towards people who need safety.
“We, and everyone we work with, are very happy that it has finally been found unlawful. Our beneficiaries can take a breath of relief, but they are still not safe. Now is the time to build a humane and dignified immigration system that we can all be proud of.”
In a statement, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who pledged to “stop the boats”, said the government will “consider next steps.”
The defeat will sting especially for Sunak after Suella Braverman, the now former Home Secretary, warned him in a letter following her resignation that the Court’s decision was likely to go against the government. She also criticised Suank for a lack of an alternative plan.
The Rwanda policy faced much criticism from across the board, with many branding it as cruel and inhumane.
Last December, the plan was deemed lawful by the UK High Court. An earlier intervention from the European Court of Human Rights halted the first planned flight in June 2022.
Homosexuality is legal in Rwanda. However, there have been reports of LGBTQ+ people facing widespread abuse.