A Home Office source told the BBC that, of the original 37 scheduled to fly to the east African nation, legal challenges relating to modern slavery and human rights claims have drastically reduced that number…reports Asian Lite News
The number of asylum seekers due to be removed from the UK on the first deportation flight to Rwanda is close to single figures, BBC reported citing sources.
The Court of Appeal is set to decide later whether to allow the Home Office flight to depart on Tuesday.
Campaigners and migrants last week failed to win an injunction against the government policy in the High Court.
But it is thought the number facing being deported to Rwanda’s capital Kigali is falling rapidly.
A Home Office source told the BBC that, of the original 37 scheduled to fly to the east African nation, legal challenges relating to modern slavery and human rights claims have drastically reduced that number.
Earlier, Britain’s Prince Charles called the government’s plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda “appalling”, a report said Saturday.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson — who is also set to attend the summit — welcomed his government’s victory in a High Court hearing Friday that gave the plan a green light.
“We cannot allow people traffickers to put lives at risk and our world-leading partnership will help break the business model of these ruthless criminals,” Johnson tweeted.
Charles, however, joined others including senior Christian clerics in denouncing the plan, and fears the issue could overshadow the Commonwealth summit on June 24-25, The Times reported.
“He said he was more than disappointed at the policy,” the newspaper quoted an unidentified source as saying.
“He said he thinks the government’s whole approach is appalling. It was clear he was not impressed with the government’s direction of travel,” the source added.
A spokesman for Charles declined to comment on private conversations, “except to restate that he remains politically neutral”.
“Matters of policy are decisions for government,” the spokesman added.
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