We're Crowdfunding: Help people detained under the Rwanda scheme secure justice
We're taking the Home Office to court to prove that approximately 150 people were unlawfully detained under the Rwanda scheme.
On or around the 29th of April, approximately 150 individuals were unjustly detained in an act of political theatre that coincided with local elections.
Homes were violently raided, and people were handcuffed, forced into caged vans, and served documents, often in languages they do not speak. Phones were taken away, and legal advice was not provided.
While terror reigned for those seeking protection in the UK, the Home Office filmed themselves raiding homes and released the footage to the press.
Our clients, all of whom sought refuge in the UK to escape war, persecution, and torture, endured further trauma, including depression and thoughts of self-harm and suicide, due to their detention.
From people in detention to lawyers and activists, a groundswell of resistance emerged across the UK, leading to the stalling of the scheme which was eventually scrapped by the new government in July.
Why we believe it was unlawful
On 23rd May Rishi Sunak announced there would be no flights to Rwanda until after the election, IF he was re-elected.
Law and Home Office policy dictates that for detention to be lawful removal must be imminent.
Instead of releasing everyone, the Home Office persistently argued that there would be a flight to Rwanda.
In breach of their own policy to use detention sparingly and only when removal is imminent, the Home Office persisted in detaining vulnerable people for long periods of time, at great cost to their wellbeing.
We had to go to court to secure the release of our clients one by one.
We fought for our client’s release one by one, and in 100% of cases judges agreed with us that removal was not imminent and ordered the release of our client.
How you can help
We need your help to take the Home Office to court and prove that these detentions were unlawful.
Our small legal advice charity requires £13,000 to cover part of the legal costs of our case, to ensure we secure justice for those who were unjustly detained. Head to our page to donate now
By contributing to this campaign and sharing our page, you will play a vital role in helping us reach this goal and bring about much-needed accountability to ensure that this never happens again.
