Minister admits child asylum seekers could be deported to Rwanda with their ... trends now
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Child asylum seekers could be deported from Britain to Rwanda in bid to deter people traffickers from packing youngsters onto small boats making the perilous Channel crossing, a minister confirmed today.
Robert Jenrick said that unaccompanied kids would not be sent to Africa under the £120million removals deal signed last year.
But facing MPs today he admitted he could not rule out family groups, including under 18s, being removed together.
The Immigration Minister told the Women and Equalities Committee there was a real risk of people smugglers exploiting a decision to rule out sending any children to Rwanda.
'It is not our intention to remove unaccompanied minors (but) as we operationalise the Rwanda policy we will need to consider whether or not we would remove families,' he said under questioning by committee chairwoman Caroline Nokes, a former Tory minister.
'The balance we need to consider is obviously the challenge of minors leaving the country to Rwanda
