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 provisions in the extradition treaty recently agreed by the governments of Rwanda and Mozambique in relation to the potential return of asylum seekers and refugees from Mozambique to Rwanda.

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.