In The Press

The controversial “pushback” proposal to return migrant boats in the English Channel to France has been quietly dropped by the Home Office ahead of a High Court challenge by Duncan Lewis. The plan would have allowed Border Force patrols to intercept boats and send them back to France but was said to be both illegal and inhumane, contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Duncan Lewis Solicitors was instructed by Care4Calais and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and the judicial review was due to get underway this month. Public law solicitor Jeremy Bloom said: “We are convinced that the Home Secretary has withdrawn the policy because she knew that she would lose in court if she went to trial. The court would have found that she does not have a power under existing legislation to do this.”