JAMES CLEVERLY – the first Black Home Secretary following his appointment earlier this week – was immediately dealt a blow after the Supreme Court rejected the government’s plan to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda.

Cleverly, who was previously Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, saw a central plank of Conservative policy fall after the five judges unanimously ruled that deportees could face persecution in the central African state or have their claims wrongly assessed.

The former Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, who was sacked after criticising the police over the pro-Palestinian demos, which she labelled “hate marches”, had earlier blasted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as “weak” over anti-immigration efforts.

The Supreme Court ruling was interpreted by commentators as a blow to Tory pledges to “stop the boats”, but refugee groups insist that the Rwanda plan would have made no difference to asylum seekers crossing the channel because the government had denied them alternative “safe and legal routes.”

The legal challenge to the Rwanda policy was brought to court by the PCS union, which represents border officials, and a coalition of refugee groups.

The judges said that the government plan did not comply with international treaties and obligations which Britain had signed up to. That finding is likely to spark renewed pressure from Braverman and rightwing Tory MPs to pull out of the European convention on human rights.

The campaign group Migrant Voice reacted to the judgement: “This was a policy which, legality aside, should never have even been suggested, let alone going this far. This must be the end of policies which put vulnerable people at more risk, and in more fear. We need policies which focus on protection.”

The Refugee Council said: “This is a victory for the rights of men, women and children who simply want to be safe. The plan goes against who we are as a country that stands up for those less fortunate than us and for the values of compassion, fairness and humanity. The Government should be focusing on creating a functioning, fair and humane asylum system and expanding safe routes.”

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas added: “The government’s utterly inhumane, grotesquely immoral and totally unworkable Rwanda scheme has now been deemed illegal by the Supreme Court – the highest court in the land. Please, Prime Minister – time for an asylum policy which actually treats people with respect and dignity.”

Labour had committed to not going ahead with Rwanda, but did not argue against it in principle. Sir Keir Starmer said a Labour government would manage the system more effectively than the Tories, but failed to back new safe and legal routes and echoed Sunak’s pledge to stop the boats.

Cleverly said that the Rwanda plan was right in principle, and pointed to mainland Europe, which has been ramping up anti-immigration measures in the face of an increase in asylum seekers.

He said: “Our partnership with Rwanda, while bold and ambitious, is just one part of a vehicle of measures to stop the boats and tackle illegal migration.

“But clearly there is an appetite for this concept. Across Europe, illegal migration is increasing and governments are following our lead: Italy, Germany and Austria are all exploring models similar to our partnership with Rwanda.”

The Rwandan government reminded Britain that it had already committed to spend £140 million on the scheme, and it expected the deal to be honoured. Some of that money has already been spent on constructing a new detention complex on the outskirts of the capital Kigali.