Ruling welcomed

The PCS civil service union has welcomed the Court of Appeal ruling that the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda is unlawful.

The union, alongside campaign groups Care4Calais and Detention Action and eight refugees, launched a judicial review to oppose the policy. The court agreed with the PCS’s argument that Rwanda was not a safe country to deport refugees to and there was a serious risk they could be sent back to a country where they could be tortured.

The union said it took action on behalf of its Home Office members in order to improve their working environment by removing the hazards and hostility crated by the policy. Its action was also in solidarity with refugees.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka welcomed the decision but said “the fight against this government’s disgraceful anti-immigration agenda is far from over”.