Dozens of migrants have received notification from the Home Office over the past fortnight, warning them of possible removal to a “safe third country” as the Government pushes to get its contentious Rwanda plan off the ground this spring.
Letters have told them that if their asylum claim was deemed “inadmissible”, immigration officers might “consider whether there are any other safe third countries where you would be safe and which agree to admit you”.
Home Office officials denied it was an attempt to speed up the timetable, although asylum lawyers believed it would enable the Government to tackle problems that could delay their removal ahead of the Rwanda Bill gaining Royal Assent.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Rwanda stated that the UK leaving the ECHR would be compatible with its deportation deal with Rishi Sunak’s Government.
In a statement, the Rwandan government said it was up to Britain to decide whether to remain a signatory to the ECHR following renewed hints by Mr Sunak that he would be prepared to quit the convention.
Rwanda had warned in December that it would quit the deportation agreement if the UK’s scheme was judged to be in breach of international law, raising fears that a UK departure from the ECHR would scupper removal flights to the central African nation.
However, its clarification indicates that the Rwandans do not regard quitting the ECHR as a breach of international law.
Mr Sunak sparked fresh speculation about the prospect of the UK leaving the ECHR when he declared in an interview with the Sun newspaper that controlling illegal immigration was “more important” than membership of the Convention.
Insiders saw the declaration as evidence of Rwanda’s increasing determination to get the flights started by removing any obstacles to asylum seekers’ expulsion from the UK.
However, a Tory source said: “What other policies do the Rwandan government have for us? Now we can’t breach the ECHR but we’re allowed to leave.
“The Government should just admit the statement from Rwanda in December was a put-up job and that they’ve conned the British people.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
