Rwanda asylum deal hit by ANOTHER legal challenge as Court of Appeal reconsider if migrant plan is lawful

The Rwanda asylum deal has been hit by another legal challenge with the Court of Appeal to reconsider if the migrant plan is lawful.

The Government’s Rwanda deal to deport asylum seekers will be considered by the Court of Appeal after High Court judges gave the go-ahead for their ruling to be challenged today.

Last month, Judges dismissed challenges against the Home Office’s policy which was put in place to stop small boats crossing the English Channel.

But today, Lord Justice Lewis and Mr Justice Swift granted permission to appeal a number of individual claimants and charity Asylum Aid.

The hearing does not yet have a date, and the Court of Appeal could be asked to consider other issues which Lord Justice Lewis and Mr Justice Swift refused permission to appeal against.

A record number of 45,756 migrants crossed the Channel to the UK in 2022, according to Government figures.

Challenges were brought against the policy announced by then-home secretary Priti Patel in April 2022, which she described as a “world-first agreement” with the east African nation in a bid to deter migrants from crossing the Channel.

The first deportation flight – due to take off on June 14, was grounded after a number of challenges against individual removals and the policy as a whole.

In a ruling last month the High Court said the plans were lawful and deportation flights could go ahead.