At a meeting in London, representatives from the UK and Bangladesh signed an agreement which will make it easier to return Bangladeshi nationals, including people convicted of offences, visa-overstayers and rejected asylum seekers.

Last year, 11,000 Bangladeshis entered the UK on international student, worker or visitor visas and subsequently lodged asylum claims in Britain, The Telegraph newspaper claimed on Thursday (May 16).

The vast majority of people enter the UK legally with visitor visas. According to The Telegraph, official documents leaked in April showed a 154 percent rise in visa holders claiming asylum in the year to March 2023. Bangladeshis made up the second-largest nationality among claimants, after Pakistanis.

The Refugee Council’s Jon Featonby questioned the claim of 11,000 Bangladeshis switching to the asylum route, since the government’s own figures show that in 2023 only about 5,500 asylum claims in total were lodged by Bangladeshis – including those arriving irregularly and those arriving on visas.

'Abusing the system'

The Telegraph accuses the migrants of "abusing the visa system" and trying to "exploit a 'back door' to Britain" by claiming asylum.

However, having a valid visa does not prohibit anyone from requesting asylum. Furthermore, since last year the UK Parliament has passed laws making the asylum claims of those who arrive 'illegally', ie without a visa, automatically inadmissible, and allowing for them to be detained and flown to Rwanda.

According to The Telegraph, only five percent of Bangladeshis’ initial asylum claims are successful, and thus large numbers of Bangladeshis could be forced to return home under the new agreement.

However, government figures show the actual grant rate for initial asylum claims by Bangladeshis in 2023 was over 20 percent.

Also read: The stories Bangladeshi migrants told on a rescue ship in the Mediterranean

InfoMigrants has not seen the details of the returns agreement with Bangladesh, but according to a government news story it will streamline the process "by removing a mandatory interview for cases where there is good supporting evidence for removal." 

Michael Tomlinson, the UK Minister for Countering Illegal Migration, said in the government's statement: "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," he added. 

The UK government has said repeatedly that an agreement signed with Albania in December 2022 to speed up removals of Albanians to their home country has helped to deter people from coming to Britain and reduced the number arriving by boat by more than 90 percent.

Also read: UK: Visa rules tightened as government pledges to get even tougher on immigration