The first flight scheduled to bring illegal boat migrants from Britain to Rwanda looks set to go ahead with a mostly empty plane.
In the latest twist of the deportation flight saga, the British government has managed to fend off a legal challenge to the first migrant removal flight to Rwanda scheduled to take place this week. All things considered, this is an achievement itself considering the UK’s abysmal track record of defending against legal challenges to border control rules.
However, while the flight looks set to almost certainly take off on Tuesday, it now appears like it will be another matter entirely as to whether any migrants will actually be on the aircraft.
According to a report by the state-owned BBC, individual legal challenges launched by many of the 37 initially scheduled to be put on the plane to Rwanda have seen many escape the trip for now.
As a result, pro-migrant NGO Care4Calais seems to believe that there are now only around 11 migrants actually scheduled to be on Tuesday’s flight, with a Home Office source reportedly confirming to the broadcaster that the many migrants originally scheduled to fly have managed to extend their time in Britain for at least a little while longer.
What’s more, one BBC pundit expects the unofficial 11 number to be whittled down even further, suggesting that there could conveivably be no one on the flight at all by the time it is slated to take off.
As the British government fails to keep migrants on removal planes — and consequently its own promises to its voters — opposition to the Rwanda boat migrant relocation plan seems to be rallying, with activists, NGOs and big business all taking swipes at the Tory party over the policy.
Even Prince Charles, the heir to the monarchy of the United Kingdom has allegedly spoken against the government’s anti-immigration scheme, supposedly lambasting the plan to send boat migrants to Rwanda as “appalling” multiple times in private.
“He said he was more than disappointed at the policy,” a source reportedly close to the royal, who has previously not been shy about pushing his own climate-crazy ideals despite royal conventions on political neutrality being in place.
“He said he thinks the government’s whole approach is appalling,” the source continued. “It was clear he was not impressed with the government’s direction of travel.”
The crown prince’s private has not denied the claims, though did restate that Charles “remains politically neutral” and that “matters of policy are decisions for government”.