Council of Europe criticizes UK's Rwanda deportation plan

Europe's highest rights body has urged the United Kingdom to abandon a controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, criticized the UK government for passing legislation that would allow asylum seekers to be sent to Rwanda while their applications are processed.

O'Flaherty expressed concerns about the potential violations of human rights and the rule of law inherent in the Rwanda deportation scheme. He highlighted the lack of prior assessment of asylum claims by UK authorities before deporting individuals to Rwanda, limiting the ability of UK courts to review such cases independently.

The plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda has faced opposition from UN human rights experts and organizations supporting asylum seekers. The UK government, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, introduced the measure in response to a surge in asylum seekers crossing the English Channel from northern France.

In light of mounting pressure to address immigration challenges post-Brexit, the UK government's decision to implement the Rwanda deportation policy has raised significant concerns within the international community regarding human rights and judicial independence.