Despite the UK Appeal Court ruling stopping the planned deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda, the future looks uncertain for refugees, especially those of African descent, post-Brexit.
On 29 June 2023, the United Kingdom’s Appeal Court put a stop to the UK government’s plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda saying it was against the law. The court claimed that they are worried about the state of human rights in Rwanda and felt that people sent there may experience danger reminiscent of what they are escaping from.
Despite this setback, the UK government is not giving up. It plans to argue against the court's decision, claiming that the deportation scheme is an important means of stopping people from misusing the asylum process. In the past ten years, there has been an increase in the number of asylum seekers and migrants into the UK from less than 18,000 in 2010 to over 70,000 in 2022. The government had planned to send asylum seekers to other countries while their applications were reviewed but this recent ruling has complicated matters.
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