The Home Office has won a legal challenge against its policy to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Challenges were filed against the migrant policy, which were unveiled by then-home secretary Priti Patel, in April. Ms Patel presented the removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda as a "world-first agreement" that would dissuade asylum seekers from crossing the channel.

The first deportation flight - set to take departure on June 14 - was grounded following a flurry of challenges against individual removals and the policy in its entirety.

Lord Justice Lewis stated, "We have concluded that it is lawful for the government to make arrangements to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda and for their asylum claims to be determined there.

The UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has claimed that Rwanda lacks irreducible minimum components of an accessible, reliable, fair and efficient asylum system," and that the policies would be a severe breach of the Refugee Convention.

However, the High Court also ruled that the cases of eight asylum seekers (who were due to be sent to Rwanda earlier this year) will have to be reconsidered.

The Home Office has backed the charges against the Rwanda policy in the past, stating the Rwandan authorities have offered "detailed assurances" regarding the processing of asylum petitions and the continued treatment of people.

These include promises that all individuals sent to Rwanda will get adequate accommodation, food, free medical care, education, language and professional development training, and "integration programmes," according to the judges.

The decision to allow an appeal on this decision has been adjourned until the 16th January 2023.