Priti Patel has told of her disappointment that the first deportation flight to Rwanda will no longer take off, but said tonight’s legal defeats will not prevent her from “doing the right thing.”
The home secretary added: “Our legal team are reviewing every decision made on this flight and preparation for the next flight begins now.”
A spokesperson for the Rwandan government has similarly said it will not be deterred by Tuesday’s successful legal bids.
“Rwanda remains fully committed to making this partnership work,” Yolande Makolo said, adding: “Rwanda stands ready to receive the migrants when they do arrive and offer them safety and opportunity in our country.”
Their remarks follow a series of succesful, eleventh-hour interventions by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which saw all migrants bound for the African country removed from the plane at Boscombe Down, near Salisbury.
The appeals were considered by an out-of-hours judge on papers, PA agency understands, who overruled the UK rulings.
It is also understood that, at present , there is not a route for the Home Office to appeal against the decision.
