UK to Begin Rwanda Asylum Seeker Deportation Flights on July 23, 2024

The UK government has announced its intention to start deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda on July 23, 2024, as revealed by court documents on Monday.

This controversial plan hinges on the Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, winning the upcoming election.

Despite being one of Sunak's key policies, the plan has faced numerous legal and parliamentary challenges, preventing its implementation thus far.

Sunak recently indicated that deportation flights would not commence before the election on July 4. However, he assured that if the Conservatives win, the flights would begin shortly thereafter. Currently, the Conservative Party trails the opposition Labour Party by approximately 20 points in opinion polls, and Labour has pledged to abandon the deportation scheme if it comes to power.

In documents submitted to the London High Court as part of a legal challenge by a charity, government lawyers stated the plan to "effect removals with a flight to Rwanda on 23 July 2024 (and not before)."