Asylum seekers jailed for serious crimes in Rwanda will be sent back to the UK

James Cleverly and Vincent Biruta, Rwandan Foreign Minister, shake hands after signing the treaty. Photo: Ben Birchall/PA

At a joint press conference after the treaty was signed, Vincent Biruta, Rwanda's foreign minister, said his country had been «unfairly treated» by British courts and suggested that «internal UK politics» may , played a role in blocking the original asylum policy.< /p>

Later this week, the government is expected to publish a separate law that will cement Rwanda's status as a safe country for asylum seekers.

According to the policy Rwanda, any migrant arriving in Britain illegally will be eligible for removal to the central African country, where they can then claim asylum. The flights did not take place due to legal problems, which ended with a Supreme Court decision declaring the policy illegal.