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Lawyers representing the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) told the court on Monday that Rwanda's asylum
system was inadequate, as part of a challenge to the British
government's policy to deport asylum seekers there.
The lawyers said removing asylum seekers to Rwanda put them at
risk of being transferred again in a banned process known as
refoulement - building on past evidence which formed an
important part of the UK Supreme Court's reasoning when it ruled
last year that the British plan was unlawful.
"UNHCR is lying," Rwanda's government spokesperson said in a
statement late on Tuesday.
"The organization seems intent on presenting fabricated
allegations to U.K. courts about Rwanda's treatment of asylum
seekers, while still partnering with us to bring African
migrants from Libya to safety in Rwanda," the spokesperson
added.
A UNHCR spokesperson in Rwanda said she had no immediate
comment.
Rwanda's government said cases raised by the UNHCR lawyers in
court had involved people arriving in Rwanda who had legal
status in other countries but did not meet entry requirements,
or of people leaving Rwanda voluntarily.
Britain said last week that the first flight to Rwanda would
take off on July 24, though that was dependent on Prime Minister
Rishi Sunak Conservatives winning national elections on July 4.
That looks unlikely as Britain's opposition Labor Party, leading
by about 20 points in opinion polls, has pledged to scrap the
plan if elected.
(Reporting by Philbert Girinema; Writing by George Obulutsa;
Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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