Boris Overruled Foreign Office Fears On Rwanda

Boris Johnson and Priti Patel overruled Foreign Office concerns about Rwanda to secure the Government's deportation deal, court documents showed yesterday.

- Michael Knowles

The then Prime Minister and Home Secretary were told that officials had "ruled out" Rwanda over "significant human rights concerns".

They were warned torture, killings and kidnapping were common, it was said.

But Downing Street and the Home Office both urged the Foreign Office to pursue a deal and Rwanda was eventually included in a list of options.

The revelations come as it was reported 1,160 migrants crossed the English Channel on Sunday.

It means little more than 1,000 more arrivals from now will see the 28,526 total for the entirety of last year eclipsed.

Campaigners including several people targeted for removal, along with the PCS union, Detention Action and Care4Calais, are challenging the Home Office's plan to send some cross-Channel migrants to Rwanda.

The High Court heard that former Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab had approved criteria that countries would be excluded if "individuals faced a real risk of violations of international human rights law".