Boris Johnson confident of Rwanda migrant plan legality

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is confident of the legality of his government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

His declaration comes after the European Court of Human Rights blocked the first flight to the East African country on Wednesday.

On Saturday, Mr Johnson described the decision as a “weird, last-minute hiccup”.

“Every single court in this country said there was no obstacle that they could see," Mr Johnson said. "No court in this country ruled the policy unlawful, which was very, very encouraging.

UK's Priti Patel defends Rwanda deportations and calls human rights ruling 'scandalous'

“We are very confident in the legality, the lawfulness of what we are doing, and we are going to pursue the policy.”

Mr Johnson's statements follows the release of details about a pilot project, in which some people arriving in the UK via small boats or in the back of lorries will be electronically tagged.

The Home Office said the 12-month trial programme, which began on Wednesday, will test whether electronic monitoring is an effective way to give immigration bail to those who arrive in the country using "unnecessary and dangerous" routes.

"This is a very, very generous welcoming country," Mr Johnson said. "But when people come here illegally, when they break the law, it is important that we make that distinction.

"That is what we are doing with our Rwanda policy. That is what we are doing with making sure that asylum seekers can't just vanish into the rest of the country."

A flight carrying migrants to Rwanda was grounded when the ECHR intervened after British courts ruled the plane could take off.

All people on the plane were removed when the flight did not take off as scheduled.

The UN refugee chief, Filippo Grandi, called the £120 million ($147m) plan "catastrophic", while the leadership of the Church of England denounced it as "immoral" and "shameful". British media said Prince Charles privately described the proposal as “appalling”.

On Tuesday morning, a 200-seat Boeing 767 aircraft operated by Spanish airline Privilege Style arrived in the UK, ready to transport the asylum seekers at a cost to the British taxpayer of up to £500,000.

Ministers had originally planned for up to 130 people to board the plane, but this number dropped to seven following a series of appeals.

Day 2, Dubai Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Pakistan’s effort in the field had hints of shambles about it. The wheels were officially off when Wahab Riaz lost his run up and aborted the delivery four times in a row. He re-measured his run, jogged in for two practice goes. Then, when he was finally ready to go, he bailed out again. It was a total cringefest.

Stat of the day – 139.5 Yasir Shah has bowled 139.5 overs in three innings so far in this Test series. Judged by his returns, the workload has not withered him. He has 14 wickets so far, and became history’s first spinner to take five-wickets in an innings in five consecutive Tests. Not bad for someone whose fitness was in question before the series.

The verdict Stranger things have happened, but it is going to take something extraordinary for Pakistan to keep their undefeated record in Test series in the UAE in tact from this position. At least Shan Masood and Sami Aslam have made a positive start to the salvage effort.

The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo

Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm

Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km

On sale: December

Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)

TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)

What is THAAD?

It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.

Production:

It was created in 2008.

Speed:

THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.

Abilities:

THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".

Purpose:

To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.

Range:

THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.

Creators:

Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.

UAE and THAAD:

In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.

Other workplace saving schemes

The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.

Company%20profile

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The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)