A British court has ruled that the government's plan to send migrants to Rwanda is lawful.

The High Court ruled on Monday that the scheme is consistent with the UN Refugee Convention and domestic laws.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the decision and stressed that his government will go ahead with the plan as quickly as possible.

Government data show that so far this year the number of migrants to cross the English Channel from France and arrive in the UK is about 45,000 -- the highest since record-keeping began in 2018.

Hoping to reverse the trend, the government in April announced a plan to deport people who illegally enter Britain to Rwanda. In exchange for accepting them, the east African country will receive financial aid.

Opponents criticized the plan as inhumane and launched the legal action.

An official representing the plaintiffs indicated an intention to appeal the court decision. She said the people suffered human rights abuses and came to Britain asking for help. She said there is a better solution than putting them on flights out of the country.