The government’s flagship immigration policy, known as the Rwanda plan, is hanging in the balance this morning as ministers wait for the judgement of the highest court in the land.
But what is the scheme? Why is it so controversial? And how has it ended up in the judicial system?
The Rwanda plan was first proposed by Boris Johnson back in April 2022 as the government came under increasing pressure to tackle the growing number of small boats crossing the Channel.
The then-prime minister outlined his policy that would see anyone arriving in the country illegally deported to the east African nation.
Those who successfully applied for refugee status when there would then be given the right to remain in Rwanda – not return to the UK.
But if their claim was unsuccessful, they could then be removed to their country of origin.
The deal, signed by the home secretary at the time, Priti Patel, and her Rwandan counterpart, cost the government £120m.
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Boris Johnson: ‘We must defeat people smugglers’
Mr Johnson said it would help deter people from making the dangerous crossing to the UK and tackle the “barbaric trade in human misery” caused by people traffickers.
Opposition parties and charities deemed the plan “cruel and nasty”, and claimed the policy would break international human rights laws.
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There were even reports that King Charles – then the Prince of Wales – was a critic of the scheme.
But the government pushed ahead, with the first flight to Kigali set to take off in June 2022.
Come the day, there were only seven asylum seekers on board the plane.
Numerous court cases were launched by refugee charities, as well as the Public and Commercial Services union, ahead of take off, calling the policy “inhumane” and demanding the deportations were stopped.
Protesters also tried to stop the flight, locking themselves together with metal pipes and blockading exits of the Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre at Heathrow, where the migrants were believed to be held.
However, English judges ruled the seven people could be deported, saying there had been an “assurance” from government that if the policy was found to be unlawful at a later stage, steps would be taken to bring back any migrants.
This didn’t stop further last minute legal challenges to prevent take off though.
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Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer dubbed the government’s Rwanda plan a ‘gimmick’.
The government said it would appeal against the ruling, with Tory MPs angered that a European court could overrule the decision of English judges.
But campaigners said it showed the “inhumanity” of the plan for the human rights watchdog to intervene.
In the months that followed, there was a change in government, with Liz Truss taking the keys to Number 10 and Suella Braverman heading up the Home Office.
However, both women stood by the Rwanda plan and, even when Ms Truss was ousted weeks later, her successor Rishi Sunak also gave it his backing.
The ruling of the ECHR – which ensures the European Human Rights Convention is adhered to – was still fresh in the minds of Tory backbenchers, as they saw it as holding up the policy they believed would stop the boats.
And it led to a number of calls for the UK to leave the convention, though they appeared to remain in the minority.
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Suella Braverman is a vocal advocate of the Rwanda policy
The plan itself headed back to the courts as campaigners tried a new tactic to stop it in its tracks, launching a judicial review on the Home Office’s assessment of Rwanda as a safe third country.
The government doubled down on its belief in the scheme – with Ms Braverman telling the Conservative Party conference it was her “dream” to see flights take off.
And come December of 2022, that dream looked closer to reality, as the High Court ruled in the favour of ministers, saying the scheme did not breach either the UN’s Refugee Convention or human rights laws, and that Rwanda was a “safe third country” for migrants to be sent to.
Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett concluded Rwanda was not a safe place for people to be housed while their asylum claims were processed, adding: “The result is that the High Court’s decision that Rwanda was a safe third country is reversed, and unless and until the deficiencies in its asylum process are corrected, removal of asylum seekers will be unlawful.”
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The Court of Appeal ruled against the government
The government was outraged, with the prime minister saying he “fundamentally disagreed” with the ruling, and would do “whatever is necessary” to get the removal flights going.
The anger of Ms Braverman and her right wing supporters also grew, with further demands to leave the ECHR, and others calling for the human rights convention to be overhauled.
The government got approval to appeal that ruling and, as a result, it was sent to the Supreme Court.
Those judges will announce their decision today – and if they stick by the ruling of the Court of Appeal, that would signal the end of the government’s long fought for, but extremely controversial, Rwanda scheme.
Follow the Supreme Court ruling at news.sky.com, on the app, or on Sky News from 10am
Serial paedophile Richard Burrows has been jailed for 46 years for numerous sexual offences against young boys.
The 81-year-old former boarding school housemaster and scout leader, spent 27 years on the run in Thailand before he was arrested at Heathrow Airport last year.
Before his trial, Burrows admitted 43 offences – including indecent assault of boys, making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and four counts of possession of false identity documents with intent.
Those offences include indecent assault of boys, buggery, attempted buggery and indecency with a child.
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Burrows is a ‘nasty creature’, victim says
The trial heard that Burrows had obtained positions of authority and systematically abused 24 boys from the 1960s to the mid-1990s.
He had worked as a housemaster at a school for troubled boys and befriended other youngsters through amateur radio clubs.
Burrows was initially charged in May 1997 but failed to attend a hearing later that year.
Image: A distinctive mark helped prove “Peter Smith” was Richard Burrows. Pic: Cheshire Police
He remained on the wanted list until police using facial recognition software matched him to a man using the name Peter Smith. He had stolen the identity of a terminally ill friend to obtain a passport.
Burrows described “living in paradise” in emails found after his eventual arrest, written after he fled to Thailand.
The judge Steven Everett told Burrows: “You are a despicable man. You have ruined countless lives.
“These serious sexual assaults were committed by you because you are a predator.
“You deliberately positioned yourself among groups and communities to get closer to them, and to groom and sexually abuse young boys.”
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‘He’s a paedophile, and that defines him forever’
The judge said he had “no doubt” he was never going to come back to the UK had he not run out of money and been diagnosed with cancer.
“I have seen no remorse in your behaviour,” he added.
One of those was his first victim, aged 14 at the time in the late 1960s, and now 71.
He told Sky News’ chief North of England correspondent Greg Milam that he feels like a weight has been lifted after waiting 57 years for justice.
“It does actually feel like a weight’s been lifted. You hear that expression all through life, but it’s the first time ever really felt it,” he said.
He described Burrows as a “devious, nasty creature”.
After he was sentenced, Detective Inspector Eleanor Atkinson branded him a “coward”.
“He knew he was guilty in 1997, but rather than face the consequences of his actions, he fled the country after fraudulently obtaining a passport using the identity of an unwell man,” she said.
“He spent the last 27 years, in his own words, ‘living in paradise’. It is clear that he did not spare a thought for his victims, who were trying to live their lives under the shadow of the abuse they had suffered.”
Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor Samantha Thompson said Burrows will “very likely never leave prison”.
“Burrows is an unrepentant paedophile who used his position of trust to sexually abuse boys over three decades,” she said.
“His victims suffered horrendous abuse made worse by many of them not being able to tell anyone for fear that they would not be believed.
“This was borne out in some cases, where boys did speak up but were dismissed, and Burrows was able to move on.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales have visited an ancient forest alongside children and their parents to celebrate the environment.
William and Kate spent the second and final day of their Isle of Mull trip with children and their parents in the Ardura Community Forest to participate in an outdoor learning session.
The forest is an ancient oak wood and part of the Atlantic rainforest which is home to a rich and diverse array of birds, mammals and plants, according to its website.
The royal couple joined the youngsters in activities to learn about the work rangers do to protect one of Scotland’s most precious natural habitats.
Image: The Prince of Wales speaks with primary school pupils during a visit at the Ardura Community Forest. Pic: PA
Image: The Princess of Wales waves to children and their parents at the Ardura Community Forest. Pic: PA
Image: The Prince and Princess of Wales with General Manager of Mull and Iona Ranger Service, Moray Finch. Pic: Wattie Cheung / Kensington Palace
The schoolchildren who met the royals were part of an outdoor learning play group called Ardura Acorns, which introduces members to nature trails, den building and animal tracking.
Their visit coincides with the announcement of royal funding to safeguard two nature warden roles on Mull and neighbouring Iona, which have been essential for helping to preserve the way of life of remote communities on the isles.
Image: The Princess of Wales during her visit to the Ardura Community Forest. Pic: Reuters
Image: Kate looks through handmade binoculars. Pic: Wattie Cheung / Kensington Palace
Image: William talks to schoolchildren in the Ardura Community Forest. Pic: Wattie Cheung / Kensington Palace
Image: The Princess of Wales hands a flower to a child. Pic: Wattie Cheung / Kensington Palace
William and Kate celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on Tuesday and marked the occasion by releasing a romantic picture taken in the Inner Hebrides.
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“Wonderful to be back on the Isle of Mull. Thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome,” the royals captioned the image, shared via their official X account.
Image: The Princess of Wales holds the hand of a child from the Ardura Acorns group during a visit at the Ardura Community Forest
Image: William and Kate celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. Pic: Kensington Palace
The Prince and Princess of Wales are set to take the ferry to Iona following their Isle of Mull visit to spend private time together.
Mull is part of lands once ruled by the Lord of the Isles, one of a number of Scottish titles William inherited from his father Charles when he became King.
The officer cleared of murder after shooting dead Chris Kaba will face a gross misconduct hearing, following a review by the police watchdog.
The 24-year-old’s family welcomed the decision, saying they hope it leads to sergeant Martyn Blake, 41, being sacked from the Metropolitan Police.
Mr Kaba, who was not armed, had both hands on the steering wheel of his vehicle when he was shot in the head by the firearms officer in Streatham, south London, on 5 September 2022.
A helicopter and six police cars were involved in stopping Mr Kaba after the Audi Q8 he was driving had been linked to a shooting outside a school in nearby Brixton the previous evening.
Mr Kaba had turned into Kirkstall Gardens, where Mr Blake was inside a marked police BMW, before trying to make his escape.
Image: The initial follow of the Audi vehicle driven by Chris Kaba.
Pic: CPS/PA
The murder trial hinged on the following 17 seconds, when Mr Kaba reversed a short distance, hitting an unmarked police car behind, then accelerated forward, reaching an estimated 12mph before colliding with the BMW and a parked Tesla.
Armed officers were heard shouting “go, go, go” and “armed police, get out of the f***ing car,” as they surrounded Mr Kaba’s vehicle in footage played in court.
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Mr Kaba then reversed at 8mph, hitting the unmarked Volvo behind, and was stationary as Mr Blake pulled the trigger of his gun less than a second later, followed by shouts of “shots fired” and “where from?”
He died in hospital in the early hours of the next day after the bullet travelled through the windscreen and struck him in the head.
Speaking after Mr Blake was cleared of murder in October, Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said the officer made a split-second decision on what he thought was necessary “to protect his colleagues and to protect London”.
The officer said he didn’t intend to kill Mr Kaba, adding: “I had a genuine belief that there was an imminent threat to life, I thought one or more of my colleagues was about to die.”
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Chris Kaba club shooting
The jury – which was not told Mr Kaba was a core member of a notorious south London gang who was suspected of carrying out a nightclub shooting – deliberated for about three hours before finding Mr Blake not guilty of murder.
But the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said he will face a gross misconduct hearing after a “thorough review” of all the evidence in the case.
The threshold is a lower test than for criminal proceedings and a police disciplinary panel will decide whether misconduct is proven or not.
IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “We understand the impact this decision will have on Chris Kaba’s family and Sergeant Blake and acknowledge the significant public interest in this case, particularly among our black communities, firearms officers and the wider policing community.
“This is a decision we have taken based on examining all the evidence, views of all parties and by applying the thresholds set out in legislation and guidance which govern our work.
“The legal test for deciding whether there is a case to answer is low – is there sufficient evidence upon which, on the balance of probabilities, a disciplinary panel could make a finding of misconduct. This has been met and therefore we need to follow the legal process.
“We appreciate that the Home Office is carrying out a review of the legal test for the use of force in misconduct cases, however, we must apply the law as it currently stands.”
Image: Chris Kaba’s family: ‘We will continue this fight’
Mr Kaba’s family vowed they “won’t be silenced” and would continue fighting for “justice and for real change” following the verdict.
In a statement issued through the charity Inquest after the IOPC’s decision, they said: “We hope this leads to him being removed from the Met Police.
“What Martyn Blake did was deeply wrong. We are still so devastated to have lost Chris – this should never have happened.
“The fact that the Met promoted Martyn Blake after the verdict only deepened our pain and showed a complete disregard for our loss.
“Martyn Blake should not be allowed to remain a police officer. He should lose his job.”
The Met said the force made “strong representations” that Mr Blake, who they referred to by the cypher NX121 used before a judge lifted an anonymity order, should not face any further action.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: “We know any fatal use of force by police understandably prompts concern among communities.
“NX121 made a split-second decision on what he believed was necessary to protect his colleagues and London and a jury unanimously decided that was an honestly-held belief and the force used was reasonable.
“However, the IOPC has now determined that NX121 has a case to answer for his use of force and has directed us to hold a gross misconduct hearing.
“We know another lengthy process will fall heavily on the shoulders of NX121 and more widely our firearms officers, who continue to bravely and tirelessly police the streets of London every day to protect the public.”
Mr Taylor said the Met will ask a chief officer from another force to chair the hearing to ensure independence.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has ordered a review into the accountability of firearms officers.
Some of the force’s firearms officers turned in their weapons in protest after Mr Blake was charged with murder and the IOPC’s decision is likely to cause further concern.
Mr Blake is only the fourth police officer to be charged with murder or manslaughter over a fatal police shooting in England and Wales since 1990, while a total of 83 people have died in such incidents, according to the Inquest charity.
In that time, only one on-duty officer, Benjamin Monk, has been found guilty of manslaughter – over the death of former Aston Villa striker Dalian Atkinson, 48 – while none have been convicted of murder.