News - The Times: London, Yerevan negotiating on sending illegal immigrants from UK to Armenia

The United Kingdom (UK) has started holding talks with four countries that can accept illegal immigrants expelled from the UK. A dialogue on this matter is underway with Armenia, Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, and Costa Rica, writes The Times newspaper, citing the documents of the UK Foreign Office at its disposal. According to the newspaper, it is with these four countries that London expects to conclude an analogue of the previously reached agreement between the UK and Rwanda. The newspaper reminded that UK has been looking, for a year and a half, for countries that would be ready to accept illegal immigrants expelled from the kingdom. The country's Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, had hoped to conclude the corresponding agreements last fall, but the negotiations have reached a deadlock, as the UK authorities have not yet managed to send any illegal immigrants to Rwanda. As the newspaper emphasizes, London started technical negotiations with Yerevan in September of last year, when the UK Deputy Foreign Minister Leo Docherty visited Armenia. It is reported that the Armenian authorities are following the developments of the situation around Rwanda after the UK parliament voted in favor of the new law. The agreement between London and Kigali assumes that illegal immigrants expelled from the UK will be able to apply for it in Rwanda, and also, it assumes the ruing out of the possibility of immigrants being deported to their home countries where they may be at risk.