No 10 admits migrants could be sent back to UK from Rwanda under Rishi Sunak’s new plan
Migrants deported to Rwanda could still be sent back to the UK under the Government’s revised proposals, No 10 has admitted.
Rishi Sunak vowed on Wednesday to push ahead with plans to send asylum seekers arriving on small boats to Rwanda despite the Supreme Court ruling that the policy is unlawful.
The ruling raised concerns around so-called “refoulement”, where refugees are forcibly removed to another country, under the Government’s current plans.
The Prime Minister has since promised to develop a fresh treaty with the African country, while introducing emergency legislation in a bid to block future legal challenges.
But on Thursday, Downing Street admitted that even under the new plans, migrants sent to Rwanda could still end up coming back to the UK if their bid for asylum fails.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said that the “vast majority” of people sent to Rwanda would stay there but there may be exceptional cases sent back to the UK.
“There would be a small minority of cases … where the UK is legally obliged to facilitate the return of an individual,” the spokesman said.
“But that would be in a very specific legal cases.”
The spokesman added: “In the vast majority of cases, they would remain in Rwanda, that would be what you will see.”
There would be an “exceptionally high bar” for people to be returned to the UK “given Rwanda is deemed safe for the vast majority of people”.
Ministers believe the new Rwanda legislation will prevent “systemic” legal challenges to the policy, but it remains unclear whether individual challenges could still be brought raising the prospect of the plans being snarled up in the courts once more.
“The approach we have seen where people challenge the principle of our Rwanda policy, that will be dealt with through the emergency legislation,” the spokesman said.
“We think this is the fastest route through to getting flights in the air. We think by closing off these avenues of challenge it will help speed through the process.”
