UK government says number of asylum seekers to be deported to Rwanda could be 'quite low'

By Mehmet Solmaz

BIRMINGHAM, England (AA) - The number of asylum seekers being deported to Rwanda on one-way flights could be “quite low,” the British home secretary admitted during a Commons Home Affairs Committee questioning session on Wednesday.

James Cleverly also said the scheme, which cost the UK government £240 million ($305 million), is still “uncapped” with no upper limit.

The controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda while their claims are being processed was ruled illegal by the UK's highest court, which determined that the East African country is not a safe place for asylum seekers to be housed.

The government then changed the bill to ensure that Rwanda was safe to house asylum seekers.

However, the bill now has to be approved by the House of Lords, which according to reports is against the scheme.

When asked by the committee, Cleverly declined to say how many of the 33,085 people identified as potentially eligible for removal to Rwanda would be sent there.

“The answer is entirely dependent on other work we’re doing in parallel. It may well be if we’re successful with returns agreements, if circumstances in other countries change, it may well be that the figure is quite low.

“It could be nearly at that figure, but the point is the number of people that we might send to Rwanda is entirely contingent on a whole set of other work that we’re doing.”

The admission by the home secretary comes a day after he met with his French counterpart in Paris and pledged to build closer ties with France to tackle migrant crossings across the Channel.

Speaking to the press during his Paris visit, Cleverly said: “We will continue to make sure that the work that our French partners have done preventing attempted crossings will continue.”

Cleverly later issued a statement, saying France is an essential partner in preventing illegal migration.

“The UK continues to support the challenges faced by French law enforcement, operating under increasingly difficult circumstances to save lives and disrupt organized criminal gangs. Their commitment is exemplary and the results are impressive,” he said.