THE Court of Appeal has thrown out a legal bid to stop asylum-seekers from being deported to Rwanda. 

Judge Rabinder Singh said that the court could not overturn a decision made by the High Court on Friday, which ruled that the flight should take place.

Campaigners described the rejection of the appeal — launched by charities Care4Calais, as well as Detention Action, Border Force staff union PCS and four asylum-seekers — as “disturbing.” 

The decision came following revelations that Home Secretary Priti Patel had “ignored” concerns raised by the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR in April over Rwanda’s asylum system including cases of unlawful deportation. 

Documents disclosed to the Court of Appeal on Monday showed that UNHCR had told the Home Secretary of three cases where the East African country had deported asylum-seekers to a country that might abuse them - a crime known as refoulement. 

Raza Husain QC, acting for campaigners seeking to halt flights to Rwanda, told the court in legal submissions that Ms Patel “appears to have both ignored and subsequently failed to disclose” that information, despite receiving it two months ago. 

He argued that Mr Justice Swift was wrong on Friday to reject the injunction because he had only taken a “cursory” look at evidence submitted by the refugee agency to the court pointing to poor conditions and treatment of asylum-seekers by Rwandan authorities.

Defending the policy yesterday, Home Office lawyer Rory Dunlop QC claimed the UK-Rwanda deal “could save lives” by deterring asylum-seekers from making “dangerous and unnecessary journeys” to Britain.

Campaigners claimed earlier yesterday that 23 asylum-seekers who had been booked on today’s flight to Rwanda had their tickets cancelled, leaving just eight remaining. 

A second legal challenge to temporarily halt the deportation flights to Rwanda was also heard yesterday afternoon in the High Court, launched by charity Asylum Aid and supported by Freedom from Torture. 

Barrister Charlotte Kilroy QC, who led Asylum Aid’s legal team, asked Mr Justice Swift to impose an injunction, arguing that the Home Office’s rapid procedure of sending asylum-seekers to Rwanda is “procedurally unfair and constitutes a serious impediment to access to justice.” 

Ms Kilroy added: “Without interim relief there is … a real risk that individuals will be unlawfully removed to Rwanda without access to court and may suffer irreparable damage as a result.”

The decision was made after the Morning Star went to print.