Geneva, Switzerland:

The UN called on Britain on Tuesday to reconsider plans to deport asylum seekers in Rwanda, warning that it threatened the rule of law and set a “dangerous global precedent”.

The UK government’s controversial Rwanda plan has been dogged by legal challenges since 2022, but was passed by parliament late on Monday after a marathon tussle between the upper and lower chambers.

UN rights chief Volker Turk and UN refugee chief Filippo Grande called on the government in a statement to “rethink” the plan, urging instead to “take practical steps to address the irregular flow of refugees and migrants based on international cooperation and respect”. Human Rights Act”

Pressure is mounting on the government to reduce the record number of asylum seekers arriving in small boats from northern France, particularly following the promise of a tougher approach to immigration after the UK leaves the European Union.

His plan would force judges to treat Rwanda as a safe third country.

It would also give decision-makers on asylum applications the power to ignore sections of international and domestic human rights law to get around a UK Supreme Court ruling that sending migrants on a one-way ticket to Kigali was illegal.

In their statement, UN officials lamented that the plan would “prevent UK courts from properly scrutinizing removal decisions, leaving asylum-seekers with limited room to appeal, even if they face significant risks”.

“By shifting responsibility for refugees, reducing the ability of UK courts to review removal decisions, restricting access to legal remedies in the UK and limiting the scope of domestic and international human rights protections for certain groups of people, this new law seriously hampers the rule of law in the UK and globally. Sets a dangerous precedent,” Turk warned.

Mahan agreed.

“The new law takes another step away from the UK’s long tradition of offering asylum to those in need in breach of the Refugee Convention,” he said.

“This arrangement seeks to shift responsibility for refugee protection, undermines international cooperation and sets a worrying global precedent.”

The UN refugee chief highlighted Britain’s “proud history of effective, independent judicial review”.

“It can still take appropriate action and steps to help address the factors that lead people to leave home and to help share responsibility for those in need of protection with European and other international partners.”

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