Fewer than 200 asylum seekers would be deported to Rwanda under existing immigration rules, a new analysis shows, casting doubt over Boris Johnson’s claim that “tens of thousands” would be removed under the plan.
The Refugee Council says 172 people could have been sent to the east African country last year had the deal been in place then, and estimates that this year the number is not likely to be much higher.
The multimillion-pound deal means that people who are deemed to be “inadmissible” under UK asylum rules could be flown to Rwanda for processing. The rules, introduced in January 2021, mean they travelled through a safe country, such as France, to reach Britain.
