The government will appeal against a European court ruling that grounded the first flight due to take asylum seekers to Rwanda and is “highly confident” the next plane will take off, a Cabinet minister has told Sky News.
Therese Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, said the public would be surprised that the European Court of Human Rights had overruled British judges and intervened to stop the first deportation flight to the east African country since the government announced the contentious policy in April.
Ms Coffey said ministers were disappointed by the decision, but rowed back from any suggestion that the UK might withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, which established the court.
Politics Hub: Minister insists preparations being made for next Rwanda deportation flight
She added: “We’ll go back I’m sure to the ECHR to challenge this initial ruling because British judges have made the decision, said that these flights would go ahead and I still think that’s the best thing that can happen.”
The plane was waiting on a Ministry of Defence runway on Tuesday night when the European Court of Human Rights issued last-minute injunctions to stop the deportation of the migrants onboard.
English judges in the Court of Appeal had ruled on Monday that the flight could go ahead after a legal challenge by campaigners, who say the government’s plan to send some migrants to the east African country is inhumane.
Church of England leaders have said the policy shames Britain and Prince Charles has reportedly said privately that it is “appalling”.
Ms Coffey’s remarks echo those of Home Secretary Priti Patel, who said after the ruling that it was “very surprising” that the Strasbourg-based court had “intervened despite repeated earlier success in our domestic courts”.
Ms Patel is expected to make a statement in the Commons later.
Ms Coffey said: “The government expected a lot of legal challenge and we went through the British courts who gave the go-ahead for this flight to happen.
“The government is disappointed in the decision.
“I’ve never known such a quick decision made by somebody at the ECHR.
“I think the public will be surprised that we have European judges overruling British judges but nevertheless I know the Home Office is already getting ready for the next flight.
“We will continue to prepare and try and overturn any future legal challenges as well.”
Amid reports that the initial Rwanda flight was set to cost £500,000, Ms Coffey said she maintained that the policy was “value for money” with the government spending “millions of pounds a day on a broken asylum system”.
The government claims the scheme will deter migrants from making the perilous Channel crossing to the UK.
When challenged that it did not appear to be doing so yet, Ms Coffey said: “I do believe we will start to see that as flights take off.”
She would not say when the government would next attempt to send a flight to Rwanda.
Ahead of Tuesday’s grounding of the Rwanda flight, Boris Johnson had said when asked about pulling out of the European Convention on Human Rights that it “may very well be” necessary to “change some laws to help us”.
Ms Coffey told Sky News: “We are a law-abiding government. We will get to any future discussions about that.
“Right now I’m not aware of any decisions or hints even about that.”
David Lammy, Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, told Sky News: “This is a mess that Priti Patel created.
“She was told that the system was unworkable, unethical and would cost an extraordinary amount of money.”