Court: UK plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda is legal

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Judges at Britain’s High Court say the U.K. government’s controversial plan to send asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda is legal. But two judges also ruled Monday that the government failed to consider the circumstances of the individuals it tried to deport. The ruling is a partial victory for the government but is likely to face further legal challenges. Several asylum-seekers, aid groups and a border officials’ union filed lawsuits to stop the Conservative government acting on a deportation agreement with Rwanda that aims to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats. The U.K. plans to send some migrants to the East African country. Applicants granted asylum would stay in Rwanda.