Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office, has confirmed the continuation of the program to send migrants in illegal situations to Rwanda. During a hearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Security, Rycroft hinted at the provision of extra funds to Rwanda.

However, he consistently declined to disclose the exact amount, citing ministerial decisions to keep this information confidential until the summer.

This exchange occurred in a tense atmosphere at the Home Affairs Committee (HAC), leaving lawmakers frustrated by Rycroft’s lack of precise answers. Conservative MP Lee Anderson, in particular, expressed dissatisfaction with Rycroft’s inability to provide clarity on several questions.

The session also revealed that officials from the Ministry of Interior were unaware of the status of around 17,000 asylum seekers whose files had been withdrawn by the ministry.

The issue of additional funding beyond the initially allocated 140 million Euros to the Kigali government for managing asylum requests was raised. Rycroft indicated that there would be additional payments each year, with details being communicated annually, in accordance with ministerial decisions.

The project to send migrants staying in the UK illegally to Rwanda had faced a temporary halt by the Supreme Court, but the British government has recently decided to revise its agreement with Rwanda. According to Rycroft, British delegations are currently in Rwanda to finalize this agreement.

The British government is reportedly contemplating maintaining its financial assistance to Rwanda, specifically targeted at supporting the reception of illegal migrants from the European country.