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Rishi Sunak stands little chance of signing Rwanda-type asylum deals with other countries before the election, Whitehall insiders believe.
The UK has attempted to open talks with Armenia, Ivory Coast, Costa Rica and Botswana over sending asylum seekers there on a one-way ticket, while other countries including Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Brazil and Colombia have also been approached, according to documents leaked to The Times.
Several more reside on a “reserve list” while others declined or were ruled out by the Government.
But after the Home Office and Foreign Office missed a No 10 deadline of last autumn to agree additional deals, a blame game has begun over a failure to expand the UK’s migrant offshoring policy, amid claims that the Rwanda scheme will be smaller in scale than previously envisaged.
One former Government insider blamed Foreign Office officials for being a “go slow” over the plans.
Then-foreign secretary James Cleverly, who is now responsible for asylum policy as Home Secretary, was also disinterested, the former insider claimed.
However, i understands that this claim would be rejected by Mr Cleverly, who along with other officials had introductory conversations in which the countries said they wanted to wait and see the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Rwanda scheme before deciding whether to proceed with talks. Judges ultimately ruled it unlawful.
Ministers now believe that if they can get the Rwanda policy up and running and prove the concept of the deportation deal, some of the countries may be willing to open negotiations on similar deals.
But current and former Government insiders with knowledge of the talks told i there was little prospect of any deals being struck before an election expected in autumn.
With Labour pledging to scrap the Rwanda scheme and appearing on course for election victory, according to opinion polls, it suggests the nascent talks about more asylum deals may be over.
Two countries named in the Times report also indicated that any talks with the UK did not get past the introductory stage.
A spokesman for the Armenian Embassy in the UK said: “While we have a broad political dialogue with the UK, regarding the topic raised in the [Times] there have not been substantial or technical talks.”
Responding to the report, a spokeswoman for Paraguay’s Embassy in London said: “This information is false.
“Paraguay has an open migratory policy however there were not talks, neither negotiations regarding this delicate issue.”
Commenting on the leaked documents, Home Office permanent secretary Sir Matthew Rycroft told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC): “That is an out-of-date document. I don’t think the committee should assume that there are active negotiations with those countries.”
On Monday afternoon, Home Office permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft said only a “tiny number” of countries were suitable for a Rwanda-style scheme, telling MPs: “A lot have been assessed and a tiny number are into the next stages of work.”
Mr Rycroft declined to spell out how many countries had rejected the UK’s advances to take on a similar scheme.
It came as Sunday became the busiest day yet for Channel crossings so far this year, after more than 500 migrants arrived in the UK in a single day.
It means some 6,000 people have made the journey in 2024 to date, with more than 75,000 arrivals recorded two years on from the Rwanda deal being signed.
On Monday night, MPs voted once again to overturn amendments made by the Lords to the Safety of Rwanda Bill, a key plank of the Prime Minister’s strategy to revive the beleaguered deportation deal, setting up another clash with the House of Lords.
MPs returned from the Easter recess on Monday to discuss six further changes made by peers, with the Government tabling motions to disagree with them.
The amendments overturned included an attempt by peers to ensure the Bill has “due regard” for domestic and international law and that Rwanda is only regarded as safe for as long as the provisions of the UK’s treaty with that country are in place.
Peers are expected to consider the Bill again on Tuesday and could make further changes which would prolong the parliamentary wrangling.
Charity Freedom from Torture said it was “utterly shameful” to see MPs continue to vote down “vital” Lords amendments, adding: “We urgently need the Government to abandon this cruel ‘cash for humans’ deal once and for all and get on with the job at hand – restoring the right to asylum in the UK and clearing the backlog, so that those currently stuck in limbo can recover and rebuild their lives.”
The Bill is widely expected to become law in the next two weeks with several peers signalling they will end their battle for changes to the legislation.
