In blow to Sunak, UK court rules Rwanda deportation plan unlawful

Several charities and human rights groups have criticised the plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda [File: Henry Nicholls/Reuters]

A British court has ruled that the government’s controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful as the African nation cannot be considered a safe third country.

In a major setback for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has pledged to deter people from arriving across the Channel in small boats, three Court of Appeal judges on Thursday said the “removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda” would be “unlawful”.