Government ignored 'serious' warnings about Rwanda's human rights record, court told

In a memo, Foreign Office officials said they had advised Downing Street against engaging with several countries, including Rwanda, the court was told in written arguments.

Image: Alamy Live News.)

Government officials have ignored 'serious concerns' that have been raised about Rwanda's human rights record due to Boris Johnson and Priti Patel's 'interest' in the nation, it said. we affirmed.

Lawyers representing a number of asylum seekers presented new evidence to the High Court on the first day of the week-long standoff over the controversial policy.

Foreign Ministry (FCDO) officials had issued warnings against the "migration partnership" with Rwanda as early as September 2020, when it was first considered, the court heard.

The legal documents noted that Dominic Raab, who was then Foreign Secretary, had approved the criteria under which countries would be excluded if "individuals faced a real risk of violation of international human rights law ".

Rwanda was not on the second list of countries recommended as potential partners for a deportation program in February 2021.

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But outgoing Prime Minister Mr Johnson and his Home Secretary Ms Patel shared a ‘special interest’ in Rwanda at the time, prompting FCDO officials to question the country, according to government documents shared with the claimants.

Last June, the FCDO was informed that the Prime Minister was "frustrated with the pace of progress" on an asylum processing agreement with a foreign country, and shared a "special interest in Rwanda" with Ms Patel and the Minister for Immigration.< /p>

In written submissions, the claimants told the court that Ms Patel and the government "including the Foreign Office and No 10 were themselves aware of and appeared to have serious concerns about the rights of the current and historical man of Rwanda...