Britain is targeting four more countries to replicate the Rwanda migrant deportation scheme, according to leaked documents.
The UK has entered talks with Armenia, Ivory Coast, Costa Rica and Botswana for what the Government describes as a “third-country asylum processing deal”, The Times reports.
Several South American countries including Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Brazil and Colombia have also been approached but were viewed as less likely to be interested.
African nations including Cape Verde, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Angola and Sierra Leone were put on a reserve list that would be approached if other targets failed.
Others including Morocco, Tunisia, Namibia and The Gambia “explicitly declined” to enter technical discussions.
The Foreign Office identified Ivory Coast, Botswana, Armenia and Costa Rica as countries to prioritise after a list was assessed on their feasibility.
But progress with the four has stalled due to ongoing problems getting the Rwanda deal up and running.
Rishi Sunak launched the search for more Kigali-style deals after he entered No 10 in October 2022.
It comes as the Prime Minister is braced for a fresh round of parliamentary wrangling over his Rwanda Bill aimed at getting the plan off the ground after the Supreme Court ruled against it.
The Commons returns from Easter recess today with the legislation high on the agenda.
MPs will consider amendments to the Safety of Rwanda Bill by the House of Lords, which inflicted a series of defeats against the policy before rising for the spring break.
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins yesterday insisted the Home Office is “ready to go” in implementing the plan when the Bill gets onto the statute books.
She suggested flights would take off “within weeks” but was unable to say whether the Government had found an airline.
It comes after reports suggested that Rwanda’s state-owned airline turned down a UK Government proposal to transport asylum seekers because it wanted to avoid being associated with the controversial scheme.
