The UK has deported its first asylum seeker to Rwanda as part of Rishi Sunak’s new immigration policy.

The individual, whose identity remains confidential, was flown from the UK yesterday evening and landed in Kigali, Rwanda.

He was transported on a commercial flight and given approximately £3,000 from British public funds to assist with resettlement in accordance with the agreement between the UK and Rwanda.

This is the first instance of the British government sending a rejected asylum seeker to a third country. The man’s application to remain in the UK was denied in late 2023, after which he agreed to start a new life in Rwanda.

A source told The Sun: “This demonstrates that it is possible and legally acceptable for the UK to relocate failed asylum seekers to Rwanda efficiently and without issues.”

In March, the Home Office confirmed the voluntary relocation program for individuals who were found in the UK without proper documentation.

In 2023, about 19,000 failed asylum seekers voluntarily left the UK after being informed they would not gain legal status.

However, many other migrants remain in the system who cannot be sent back to their countries of origin. Government officials say that it is more cost-effective to relocate these migrants to Rwanda than to support them in the UK, even after providing monetary assistance and transportation.

Home Office officials reportedly acknowledged that they are unable to track thousands of migrants who are scheduled to be deported to Rwanda, according to reports released yesterday.

A revised document analyzing the impact of the agreement with the East African nation indicates that Rwanda has agreed to accept 5,700 individuals.

But an admission from the Home Secretary James Cleverly’s department revealed that only 2,143 continue to report to authorities, suggesting that there is a significant risk that the rest may have disappeared since the deportation bill was passed in Parliament.