UK Rejects Irish Deal on Asylum Seekers, Stokes Crisis: Rishi Sunak Dismisses Dublin's Proposal and Doubles Down on Rwanda Plan
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that the UK will not accept the return of asylum seekers from Ireland, rejecting a potential deal with Dublin.
Sunak's stance increases the likelihood of an escalating crisis between the two countries.
The Irish government is concerned about asylum seekers entering the republic from Northern Ireland.
Sunak's position comes as he continues to push for his Rwanda deportation plan, which has already caused tension between the UK and Ireland.
This development is seen as the biggest threat to British-Irish relations since Brexit.
The UK's Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has stated that the UK will not establish a returns scheme with Ireland for EU migrants, as the EU does not accept returns from France where many illegal migrants originate.
Sunak is focused on implementing the Rwanda scheme, which received royal assent last week and aims to process asylum claims in Rwanda to deter people from crossing the English Channel in small boats from France.
There are currently no negotiations between the UK and EU on returns.
The Home Office of the UK published a document on Monday night revealing that Rwanda had agreed in principle to accept 5,700 asylum seekers from the UK.
Of these, 2,143 have reported to authorities and can be located for detention.
The Irish government has stated that the threat of deportation to Rwanda has contributed to a surge in asylum seekers entering Ireland via the land border with Northern Ireland, now accounting for over 80% of asylum applications in the republic.
The Irish Refugee Council and other advocacy groups have raised questions about the given figure.