The UK government has signed a new agreement with Bangladesh to speed up the removal of migrants with no right to be in the country.

Plans to speed up the deportation of Bangladeshis who are in Britain illegally were announced by the Home Office on Thursday.

The government said a “streamlined” returns agreement between the UK and Bangladesh will remove the need for mandatory interviews in cases where there is “good supporting evidence” that someone should be deported.

Ministers claim it will mean failed asylum seekers, foreign national offenders and individuals who have overstayed their visas will all be returned to Bangladesh sooner as a result.

Illegal Migration Minister Michael Tomlinson said: “Speeding up removals is a vital part of our plan to stop people coming or staying here illegally.

“Bangladesh is a valued partner and it is fantastic that we are bolstering our ties with them on this and a range of other issues.

“We have already seen clear evidence that these agreements have a significant impact on illegal migration. Global issues require global solutions and I look forward to working with Bangladesh and other partners to create a fairer system for all.”

The UK and Bangladesh committed to strengthening cooperation on economic, cultural and social issues at the first Joint Working Group on Home Affairs in London this week.

The Joint Working Group also agreed to strengthen data sharing to tackle visa abuse, the government said.

Last year, the largest number of UK asylum seekers came from Afghanistan at 9,307 people.

Iran was the next biggest group, at about 7,400 people, followed by Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

In recent years Britain has also seen a significant increase in people from Bangladesh enrolling in UK universities, according to the Migration Observatory.

About 2 per cent of international students, 9,170 people, came from the country to study in the UK in 2021/22.

Source: London Evening Standard

BDST: 1122 HRS, MAY 17, 2024
MN