Freedom from Torture charity has launched its Stop the Flights 2.0 campaign ahead of the Rwanda bill potentially passing in parliament in the next few days.
Last year, Freedom from Torture won the Overall Award for Excellence at the 2023 Charity Awards for its original Stop The Flights campaign, which convinced four commercial airlines to rule themselves out of the running for government contracts to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda.
It has now received 24,000 signatories to its follow-up campaign, which targets another airline called AirTanker.
Parliament is set resume voting on the government's Rwanda bill as MPs return to the Commons.
The plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda has faced challenges since it was first announced in April 2022.
In November 2023, the UK Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Rwanda scheme was unlawful.
Freedom from Torture has reported that AirTanker is potentially going to be the airline carrying out the flights if the bill passes, despite previously reportedly ruling itself out in June 2022 via email from their CEO,
AirTanker did not respond to a comment request from Civil Society.
Hey @AirTanker, long time no see.
— Freedom from Torture🧡 (@FreefromTorture) April 9, 2024
2 years ago you told us you wouldn’t fly refugees to Rwanda on behalf of the UK government ... now you're not answering our calls.
So we're turning up the heat.
Tell AirTanker: Don't profit from refugees' pain 👇https://t.co/CZe0yYPWm1 pic.twitter.com/KCwxCh443q
Charities supporting asylum seekers may also launch legal challenges against moving people to Rwanda, if the new law passes in the coming days.
Charity Care4Calais said it had recruited hundreds of volunteers to identify people who are set to be removed.
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