Pre-action letter questions Home Office claims that east African country is ‘generally safe’
Priti Patel’s plan to send refugees on a one-way ticket to Rwanda is being challenged in the courts over the government’s alleged failure to identify risks facing vulnerable groups such as LGBTQ+ people.
A pre-action letter sent to the Home Office on behalf of the pressure group Freedom from Torture questions government claims that the east African state is “generally a safe country” for refugees.
the government’s claim that Rwanda is “generally” a “safe third country” is irrational;
it relies upon apparent pre-determination or bias;
the home secretary has breached her duty not to induce breaches of the European convention on human rights by her agents;
removing asylum seekers to Rwanda is beyond Patel’s legal authority because it is contrary to the refugee convention.