Liz Truss expects first UK migrant deportation flight to Rwanda to go ahead

EU Commission Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations Sefcovic and British Foreign Secretary Truss meet in London
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss looks on during a meeting with European Commission Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations Maros Sefcovic (not seen) in London, Britain February 11, 2022. Rob Pinney/Pool via REUTERS

LONDON, June 14 (Reuters) - Britain expects the first flight of asylum seekers to depart for Rwanda on Tuesday and any person who avoids that flight due to legal proceedings will be put on a later one, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Tuesday.

London's High Court is due to hear final legal challenges against the policy on Tuesday morning before the first scheduled flight under Britain's controversial new policy is expected to take place.

Following a spate of legal challenges, charities say there are only seven people who are due to go to Rwanda on Tuesday.

"We are expecting to send the flight later today," she told Sky News. "I can't say exactly how many people will be on the flight. But the really important thing is that we establish the principle."

"There will be people on this flight and if they're not on this flight, they will be on the next flight because we are determined to break the model of the appalling people traffickers."

Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Farouq Suleiman; editing by Kate Holton

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