Thousands of migrants set to be deported to Rwanda 'have gone to Ireland': Home ... trends now
The Home Office has admitted losing contact with thousands of migrants set to be deported to Rwanda - with claims they could have fled to Ireland.
An internal document revealed that officials are only in touch with 2,143 of the 5,700 people earmarked to be on the first flights to the African state.
Ministers insisted the asylum seekers will be located as the policy comes closer to being implemented.
But Labour branded the situation a 'farce' saying it exposed the 'total lack of grip' the government had on the asylum system.
Experts suggested many of the missing individuals had done a 'disappearing act' because they did not want to be sent to Rwanda. Kevin Saunders, a former chief immigration officer at Border Force, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: They are not going to appear, or certainly not in the UK. They will probably turn up in Ireland.'
The figures could fuel an increasingly bitter spat after Dublin complained that large numbers of migrants are crossing the invisible border with Northern Ireland.
The UK has dismissed efforts by the Republic to pass new laws so they can send asylum seekers back.
Tories have swiped that Ireland is being 'hypocritical' and 'squealing' after condemning Britain's efforts to strike a deportation deal with Rwanda.
Bungling Home Office officials have admitted they can't find thousands of migrants who are set to be deported to Rwanda (Pictured: Migrants cross the Channel on a small boat in March)
In an updated document which assesses the impact of the partnership with the east African country, it states that Rwanda has agreed to accept 5,700 people - but only 2,143 of those continue to report
In a round of interviews this morning, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins told Sky News that the Home Office was 'used to this' and law enforcement agencies had 'a range of measures' to find and remove people who were not reporting as required.
She said: 'We want the message to go out loud and clear that if somebody doesn't report as they should do, they shouldn't think that they'll get away with it. They will be found.'
The figures come from an impact assessment of the Government's Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda, under which the UK has agreed to pay Kigali to take asylum seekers who have crossed the Channel in small boats.
The document, updated on the Home Office's website yesterday, also acknowledges there could be further delays to deportations caused by MPs making last-minute representations to suspend removals.
There is a long-standing parliamentary convention whereby removals can be suspended until a case has been considered and a response issued to the MP.
The assessment says that given the 'novel nature' of the scheme, 'we may expect future (Migration and Economic Development Partnership) cases to attract significant attention from MPs, and responders may be overwhelmed by cases, causing a delay or removal to be cancelled pending a response'.
It appears to be the latest in a series of setbacks to the Government's stalled scheme to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda, which was announced two years ago but has yet to see a flight take off.
A Home Office spokesman said: 'As the Prime Minister has made clear, we will get flights off the ground to Rwanda in the next 10 to 12 weeks.
'In preparation for flights taking off, we have
