Thanks for joining uspublished at 18:09 Greenwich Mean Time 19 December 2022
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Let's have a quick look at what happened today:
- The High Court has concluded that the UK's government plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda is lawful
- But judges have also said that eight individuals who were due to be deported on the first Rwanda flight need to have their cases reconsidered
- An appeal is expected from the losing side - which is made up of migrant charities, individual asylum seekers and a union representing most Border Force staff
- Several charities and campaigners have criticised the High Court's ruling and urged the government to "rethink" the policy
- No 10 has said the government is "ready to defend against any further legal challenges". It has added that at this stage it would not be fair to give a timeframe on when flights to Rwanda might take off
- UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he is "pleased" about the ruling. He added that sending illegal arrivals to a safe country was "common sense"
- The High Court's decision has been debated in the House of Commons. Opposition MPs criticised the government's plan and questioned the cost of the scheme
- Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has said instead of "sorting out problems" with the asylum system, the government has put forward "an unworkable, unethical, extremely expensive Rwanda plan which risks making trafficking worse”
- Home Secretary Suella Braverman has defended the scheme and said the Home Office "won", after the court looked at various legal grounds
- She has told the Commons that Rwanda is not a punishment but a "humane and practical alternative" for those who come to the UK through "dangerous and illegal routes”