Fewer than 200 asylum seekers would be deported to Rwanda under existing rules, data analysis shows

New figures cast doubt over Boris Johnson’s claim that tens of thousands will be removed under the new deal, writes May Bulman

Analysis of data shows that just 2 per cent of asylum seekers considered under the ‘inadmissibility’ rules last year were ultimately found to be inadmissible (PA)

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.