Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership between the UK and Rwanda, and her designation of Rwanda as a safe country for the purposes of that agreement, of recent reports of threats by the government of Rwanda to remove asylum seekers and refugees from that country to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rwanda is a State Party to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the seven core UN Human Rights Conventions and has been recognised globally for its record in welcoming and integrating migrants and refugees. Our own comprehensive assessment as set out in the relevant country policy and information notes (CPINs) Rwanda is a safe and secure country. Our CPINs are kept under constant review and updated periodically on the Gov.uk website. Any decision to relocate a person to Rwanda will be made on a case-by-case basis and take into account their individual circumstances and relevant country information.

Safeguards and assurances were considered throughout the development of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership between the UK and Rwanda, and have been included in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). An independent Monitoring Committee will monitor the entire relocation process and compliance with assurances in the Memorandum of Understanding, including the processing of asylum claims and provision of support in Rwanda.