UK grants asylum to 15 more Rwandans after deportation deal deemed country safe

Experts told i the fact that the UK is granting asylum to Rwandans “fatally undermines” the Government’s controversial claim that Rwanda is a safe third country

A further 15 people from Rwanda have been granted asylum in the UK, at the same time that the Government has argued it is a “safe” third country to send asylum seekers.

i analysis of Home Office figures shows that fourteen people from Rwanda were granted refugee status in the final three months of 2023, including six children under 18. Another person was given a “grant of other leave” to remain in the UK, which is usually granted on human rights grounds.

It comes after i revealed last month that six Rwandans were granted asylum in Britain between April 2022, when the Government signed its deportation deal with the country, and October 2023.

The latest figures covering the period between October and December 2023 take the total up to 21.

It means more asylum seekers have arrived in Britain from Rwanda than vice versa since the agreement was signed, which still stands at zero. It comes despite the UK Government paying Kigali £240m for the partnership so far, with a further £50m payment expected later this year.

Experts told i the fact that the UK is granting asylum to Rwandans “fatally undermines” the Government’s controversial claim that Rwanda is a safe third country to send asylum seekers who arrive in Britain.

This story is being updated