Electric hearing this Friday at the High Court in London, around a decried government project.

Faced with an increasing number of illegal Channel crossings, the United Kingdom plans to send asylum seekers who arrived illegally back to Rwanda.

An idea that made the UN jump as well as a union and the human rights associations Care4Calais and Detention Action, which launched an urgent appeal to the courts on Wednesday.

According to the organization Care4Calais, some 35 Sudanese, 18 Syrians, 14 Iranians, 11 Egyptians but also 9 Afghans who fled the Taliban are among the more than 130 asylum seekers who were notified of their possible departure on June 14.

However, more than 90 affected migrants have already launched legal challenges to stay in the UK, lawyers say.

First plane Tuesday

Representing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), lawyer Laura Dubinsky said the UN agency was concerned about the risk of "serious and irreparable harm" to refugees being sent to Rwanda, and "in no way the Anglo-Rwandan arrangement”.

“The UNHCR is not involved in the arrangement between the United Kingdom and Rwanda, despite claims to the contrary by the Minister of State,” she stressed, accusing the government of misleading statements.

She added that the UNHCR had had "a number of meetings" with the UK Home Office, telling them the project was illegal.

But Boris Johnson's government finally prevailed.

The judge said it was "important in the public interest that the Home Secretary be able to implement immigration control orders".

The first plane carrying 32 migrants to Rwanda is due to take off on Tuesday.

Other flights are to follow in the coming months, says government lawyer Mathew Gullick.

Regarding its controversial project, the British Home Office said from the outset that it expected legal action while saying it was "determined" to implement it and insisting that it was "fully in accordance with international law and national ".

Already 10,000 illegal migrants this year

But the choice of Rwanda is particularly criticized.

This country, led by Paul Kagame since the end of the 1994 genocide which left 800,000 dead, according to the UN, mainly Tutsi, is regularly accused by NGOs of repressing freedom of expression, criticism and political opposition. .

This Friday, twenty-three NGOs called on Commonwealth leaders to put pressure on Rwanda, which is hosting a meeting of the organization from June 20, to release critics of power and allow greater freedom of movement. 'expression.

Since the start of the year, more than 10,000 migrants have crossed the Channel illegally to reach British shores on small boats, a considerable increase on previous years, which were already marked by records.

For the spokesperson for Boris Johnson, this plan is “the right approach, in particular to fight against the criminal gangs which exploit migrants on the French coasts and force them to board unseaworthy boats to make an incredibly dangerous crossing. to the UK”.

The final hearing in this case will take place in July.

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