On 15 January, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) published updated analysis on the legality of the UK’s agreement with Rwanda for the transferring of asylum seekers.

UNHCR’s updated analysis importantly finds that the new UK-Rwanda treaty signed in December and the accompanying Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill remain incompatible with international refugee law.

The Government says its new treaty addresses all the issues that led the Supreme Court to rule the Rwanda policy was unlawful in November 2023, but UNHCR does not agree.

The new legal analysis concludes: “UNHCR has reviewed the updated UK-Rwanda scheme in light of the principles and standards set out in its 2022 analysis … It maintains its position that the arrangement, as now articulated in the UK-Rwanda Partnership Treaty and accompanying legislative scheme does not meet the required standards relating to the legality and appropriateness of the transfer of asylum seekers and is not compatible with international refugee law.”

More information and the full text of the updated analysis on the EIN.ORG.UK website.