UK judge halts Home Office flight to remove asylum seekers (The Guardian) (17 September 2020)

A senior high court judge, Sir Duncan Ouseley, has halted an entire Home Office charter flight hours before up to 20 asylum seekers who crossed the Channel to the UK in small boats were due to be forcibly removed to Spain a country they had already passed through. Under Dublin III regulations one European country can return asylum seekers to another that they have previously passed through if there is evidence of this in the form of fingerprints or other proof. The flight was grounded due to concerns that the asylum seekers might be left destitute in the streets of Madrid in a similar fashion to another group earlier this month. It is believed to be only the second time an entire Home Office charter flight has been grounded by a high court action. A Duncan Lewis spokesperson welcomed the decision; “We hope the Home Office will take this high court decision on board and consider carefully their removal policy to Spain.”