London:

The case of three asylum seekers who took legal action to block Britain’s attempts to send them to Rwanda was settled on Tuesday, after the incoming Labour government reversed the policy.

Prime Minister Kier Starmer declared Saturday that the ousted Conservative government’s bogus migrant deportation plans were “dead and buried.”

There have been several legal challenges to the plan, with the UK Supreme Court ruling in November last year that it was illegal under international law because Rwanda could not be considered a safe country for asylum seekers.

Government lawyer James Eady told the High Court in London on Tuesday: “In relation to the three individuals named, their cases will be settled in full and withdrawn on condition that (the Home Office) pays their costs.”

Labour said before last Thursday’s general election that it would scrap the plans, which the Conservatives said would stop large numbers of migrants trying to cross the English Channel from northern France in small boats to Britain.

Sixty-five people were disembarked on Monday, the first under the new government, bringing the total number of arrivals so far this year to 13,639, according to an AFP analysis of official statistics.

Rwanda, which is home to 13 million people in Africa’s Great Lakes region, claims to be one of the continent’s most stable countries and is praised for its modern infrastructure.

But human rights groups accuse veteran President Paul Kagame of ruling in a climate of fear, stifling dissent and free expression.

A government spokesman said Monday that “Rwanda is aware of the British government’s intention to withdraw from the Partnership Agreement on Migration and Economic Development.”

As part of the deal, Britain has paid about £240 million ($307 million) to Rwanda, with another £50 million to be sent at a later date.

In January, Kagame said the money would “only be used if the people come. If they don’t come, we can return the money.”

However, he later noted that there was “no obligation” to do so.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and appears on syndicated channels.)