The UK and Rwanda remain committed to their controversial migrant deportation deal, sources have said, after reports emerged that support in Kigali for the agreement had cooled because of the continual delays.
Westminster has already paid the Rwandan government more than £140m but nobody has been sent to the east African country yet. The first flight was scheduled for June 2022 but was cancelled after legal challenges.
Earlier this month, the policy was ruled unlawful by the supreme court, which said there was a risk that asylum seekers sent there could be returned to their home country in breach of UK and international human rights laws. However, Rishi Sunak has insisted the policy will go ahead.
It is understood the Foreign Office has been told by senior diplomats that Rwanda’s commitment to the agreement was in jeopardy due to the continuing delays to the flights taking off, the Times reported.
But a government source told the Guardian: “Negotiating a treaty involves finding mutually beneficial areas and working within agreed anticipated and understood parameters.
“Whilst there has been speculation on various points suggesting problems, the truth is discussions continue with a partner country keen to work with us. None of that speculation has changed that position and that work continues. Both parties are interested in getting it right and doing so as soon as possible for the benefit of both sides.”
Whitehall sources said they are aware that Rwandan officials are happy to proceed in the negotiations but are concerned that Paul Kagame’s government has been “rubbished” by the supreme court ruling.
It is understood that Rwandan officials have tired of hearing that the only way to make things fair and professional is to remove Rwandans from decision-making.
Yolande Makolo, the Rwandan government spokesperson, said: “Rwanda is a safe and welcoming country for asylum seekers and migrants, and the criticisms directed at our country are unwarranted. Nevertheless, we are committed to providing those seeking safety and opportunity a home in Rwanda. This is why we’re actively working with the UK government to turn the MOU (memorandum of understanding)into a treaty to reinforce the already existing guarantees on issues of concern.”
The five-year trial, first announced by then home secretary Priti Patel in April 2022, involves sending some asylum seekers to Rwanda to process their claims there.
Under the plan, an applicant could be granted refugee status to stay in Rwanda. If not, they could apply to settle there on other grounds, or seek asylum in another “safe third country”.
Sir Matthew Rycroft, the Home Office’s permanent secretary, told the home affairs committee on Monday that more money had been paid to Rwanda on top of the £140m.
It comes as a Refugee Council report found that the Rwanda plan and the Illegal Migration Act are already leading to refugees disappearing from contact with support organisations.
Based on research with 40 organisations supporting people in the UK asylum system, the report said the Rwanda plan is more likely to result in people taking journeys that are even more dangerous, will drive vulnerable people underground, and will have a severely negative impact on people’s mental health.
Despite government claims that the act will deter Channel crossings, the research shows it is likely to have the opposite effect.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “This report is powerful evidence of the appalling human consequences of the government’s desire to push ahead with the Rwanda plan and slam our door in the face of refugees in search of safety.”
