The government’s deportation flight to Rwanda has been temporarily grounded – 16 frank reactions
The government’s policy of sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda is arguably its most controversial since Brexit, with critics, such as every bishop and archbishop in the House of Lords, describing it as cruel, pointless, expensive and racist.
Really simple question. Why are we sending Afghan, Syrian refugees to Rwanda but paying UK citizens to house those from Ukraine? It’s pretty black and white…
— Adil Ray OBE (@adilray) June 13, 2022
Spending half a million quid on flying an empty plane to Rwanda to show how much the government means business is one hell of a self-own.
— John Hyde (@JohnHyde1982) June 14, 2022
Default pro-government response to criticism of the Rwanda policy seems to involve asking people what their alternative is. The answer is: Safe routes and an efficient processing system.
— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) June 14, 2022
The second that flight takes off, Britain's crossed a line no decent citizen asked it to cross. #Rwanda
— Danny Wallace (@dannywallace) June 14, 2022
Despite statements that the flight would take place no matter how few passengers it would be carrying, a last-minute intervention by the European Court of Human Rights used legal means to prevent any of the remaining seven asylum seekers leaving the country.
Breaking: European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg grants rule 39 request to stop the flight to Rwanda from leaving. Basis: real risk of inhuman and degrading treatment (Art. 3 ECHR). Please share – government must comply.
— Jessica Simor QC (@JMPSimor) June 14, 2022
BREAKING: The controversial UK Government £500,000 deportation flight to Rwanda will not take off because it has no passengers, the last seven asylum seekers pulled off.
Johnson, Patel have wasted a small fortune on what would've been lawbreaking.
— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) June 14, 2022
Home Secretary Priti Patel was disappointed.
Home Secretary Priti Patel: “I have always said this policy will not be easy to deliver and am disappointed that legal challenge and last-minute claims have meant today’s flight was unable to depart." https://t.co/MCUvAaxmO9
— Chris Mason (@ChrisMasonBBC) June 14, 2022
News of the respite spread rapidly across the internet, with tweets like these summing up the response.
1.
Fascinated to find out how racist supporters of a racist policy will respond to the news that the racist politicians they vote for because they're racist can't even get racist policies right. And all while they continue to pretend that they're not remotely racist. Tune in at 10am https://t.co/uZJ41Hjyr0
— James Oh Brien (@mrjamesob) June 14, 2022
2.
The refugees have now been left stranded by a last minute flight cancellation. They're British.
— Paul Sinha (@paulsinha) June 14, 2022
3.
Totally disgraceful that flight was cancelled. If there were no refugees left to go and live in Rwanda, 30 Tory MPs should've taken their place.
— RD Hale (@RickyDHale) June 14, 2022
4.
It would be both hilarious & sublime if Govt’s Rwanda policy resulted in zero deportations of our asylum seekers
…but high volume rehousing of theirs. https://t.co/D0oCIRbIdQ
— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaPurkiss) June 14, 2022
5.
"I always knew the courts would find this to be an unlawful and inhumane policy, because it is an unlawful and inhumane policy and we deliberately devised it as an unlawful and inhumane policy". https://t.co/pRoAEND8UN
— Shoaib M Khan (@ShoaibMKhan) June 14, 2022
6.
Amazing https://t.co/RQOeL0mTDo
— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) June 14, 2022
7.
BREAKING: The EHCR has successfully stopped people traffickers sending innocent people to a country they've never visited against their will. Those people traffickers are called Boris Johnson and Priti Patel x
— Laura Kuenssberg Translator (@BBCFLauraKT) June 14, 2022
8.
Sorry to report that Priti Patel is so annoyed her head has just exploded.
— Parody Boris (@Parody_PM) June 14, 2022
