Several individual asylum seekers are bringing legal action against the UK Home Office over removals to Rwanda, with some claims to be heard at a hearing in early July

Asylum seekers have been removed from Rwanda and transferred to countries where they may be at risk as recently as this year, the British High Court has been told.

Several individual asylum seekers are bringing legal action against the UK Home Office over removals to Rwanda, with some claims to be heard at a hearing in early July.

They include a woman bringing a case against the department, who has been told she is in the first cohort of people to be removed on the first flight to the East African country, on July 24.

At a preliminary hearing on Monday, the UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, made a successful bid to intervene in the legal challenge.

UNHCR is aware of repeated incidents of refoulement from Rwanda and denial of access to the asylum procedure to asylum seekers in Rwanda… subsequent to 27 July 2022

The High Court in London was told that asylum seekers in Rwanda are at risk of “refoulement” – the process of transferring asylum seekers and refugees to a country where they face persecution – from the Rwandan authorities.

Lawrence Bottinick, on behalf of the UN body, said in a witness statement: “UNHCR is aware of repeated incidents of refoulement from Rwanda and denial of access to the asylum procedure to asylum seekers in Rwanda… subsequent to 27 July 2022.