UN experts warn airlines over ‘complicity’ in Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda scheme

United Nations experts said airlines could be held responsible if human rights and international orders are violated

United Nations experts have warned airlines involved in Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda asylum scheme they could be held responsible for any violations of international human rights rules.

Siobhan Mullally, Gehad Madi and Alice Jill Edwards, the special rapporteurs on human trafficking, migrants’ human rights and torture, warned airlines and regulators could be “complicit” in breaching the rules by facilitating removals to Rwanda.

The prime minister used a Downing Street press conference to say that the government had booked commercial charter plans and had an airfield on standby for the first Rwanda flight, which would take place in 10-12 weeks.

Rishi Sunak has moved to end the parliamentary deadlock over his Rwanda Bill which will pave the way for deportation flights to get off the ground once it becomes law (James Manning/PA) (PA Wire)

But the UN experts said: “Even if the UK-Rwanda agreement and the Safety of Rwanda Bill are approved, airlines and aviation regulators could be complicit in violating internationally protected human rights and court orders by facilitating removals to Rwanda.”

If airlines and aviation authorities give effect to state decisions that violate human rights, they must be held responsible for their conduct

UN special rapporteurs

The legislation, which is set to clear parliament later on Monday, is aimed at making the plan to send asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda legally watertight.

But the UN experts said: “If airlines and aviation authorities give effect to state decisions that violate human rights, they must be held responsible for their conduct.

“As the UN guiding principles on business and human rights underline, aviation regulators, international organisations and business actors are required to respect human rights.”

Rishi Sunak has moved to end the parliamentary deadlock over his Rwanda Bill which will pave the way for deportation flights to get off the ground once it becomes law (PA) (PA Wire)

The UN experts have been in contact with the British government, as well as national, European and international aviation regulators, including the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and international bodies including the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to express their concerns and remind them of their responsibilities.

James Wilson, director of campaign group Detention Action, said: “By forcing people onto planes to Rwanda, this government is outsourcing its responsibility to protect people seeking asylum here.

“Airlines must not profit from the misery and human rights abuses caused by this plan.

“It will set a very dangerous precedent that businesses can ignore human rights and international law when it suits them, putting us all at risk.”

Mr Sunak’s commitment to flights taking off in as long as three months also means he will miss a promised deadline for the scheme to be up and running this spring.

He sought to blame the Labour Party for delays getting the bill through parliament, saying the opposition “tried to frustrate us at every turn”.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper dubbed the scheme an “extortionate gimmick” and called for the money to be spent on border security instead.

She said: “The Tories are the largest party in both Houses of Parliament and they could have scheduled the final stages of the Bill a month ago but they voluntarily delayed it because they always want someone else to blame. As the former Home Secretary said this morning, the Conservative government has already passed two Bills to address illegal immigration. Both have failed and dangerous boat crossings are up 24 per cent compared to this point last year.”

The government has also reportedly struggled to find an airline willing to take part in the Rwanda scheme.

Downing Street was thought to have drawn up plans to order the Ministry of Defence to repurpose at least one leased aircraft like an RAFVoyager, if required.

Campaigners have called on AirTanker, the company which supplies Voyager to the RAF, not to get involved and claimed tens of thousands of people had written urging the same.