Court allows first migrant deportation flight

STORY: Britain will be sending its first flight of asylum seekers to Rwanda on Tuesday (June 14) - after judges threw out last ditch attempts by campaigners to stop the plan.

As part of a near $150-million deal, Britain will send to Rwanda some migrants who arrived illegally from Europe by crossing the Channel in small boats.

Britain's Conservative government says the deportations will help stop the flow of migrants and deal a blow to people-smuggling networks.

On Monday (June 13), the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi slammed the policy.

“The UK says, you know, ‘we do this to save people from dangerous journeys.' Let me doubt that a little bit. I mean, saving people from dangerous journeys is great, is absolutely great, but is that the right way to do it? Is that the real motivation for this deal to happen? I don’t think so."

On Friday a High Court judge refused to grant a temporary injunction to block the flight.

That decision was upheld Monday by three justices on the Court of Appeal.

A second legal challenge at the High Court was also rejected, with the judge noting that everyone had been given access to a lawyer to challenge their deportation.

Initially, some 37 individuals were to be removed on the first flight, but the charity Care4Calais said that number has dwindled to just eight.

Three more individuals will have their cases heard on Tuesday morning.

A full hearing to determine the legality of the policy as a whole is due in July.