UK forced to cancel deportation flight to Rwanda after European court ruling

A Boeing 767 sits on the runway at the military base in Amesbury, Salisbury, on June 14, 2022, preparing to take a number of asylum-seekers to Rwanda. AFP - JUSTIN TALLIS

A first flight carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda as part of a controversial UK policy was cancelled on Tuesday in an embarrassing blow to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government.

The number of those due to be put on the flight had dwindled from an original 130 to seven on Tuesday and finally none thanks to a last-minute ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).