Home / Sources / Select Committees / Public Accounts Committee / Asylum Accommodation and UK-Rwanda part…
Index live · Last sync 23 May 2026
Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

Asylum Accommodation and UK-Rwanda partnership

Status: Closed Opened: 11 Mar 2024 Closed: 29 May 2024 4 recommendations 28 conclusions 1 report

Asylum accommodation The Home Office is responsible for asylum and protection in the UK, including supporting destitute people who seek asylum by providing financial support and accommodation. At the end of June 2023, accommodation was provided to around 113,000 people seeking asylum, around 51,000 of whom were staying in hotels. In 2022-23, the Home Office …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Thirty-Fourth Report - Asylum Accommodation and UK-Rwanda p… HC 639 29 May 2024 32 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
5 Conclusion Thirty-Fourth Report - Asylum Accommoda… Rejected

Urgently develop robust evaluation strategy for third country asylum policy deterrent effect and value for money.

The Home Office does not yet know how it will evaluate the impact and value for money of the Rwanda partnership. The success of the Rwanda partnership is dependent on whether it deters people from making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK, including small boat crossings. The Home Office …

Government response. The government will not proceed with developing an evaluation strategy or assessing value for money because the Migration and Economic Development Partnership policy has been ceased.
HM Treasury
24 Conclusion Thirty-Fourth Report - Asylum Accommoda… Rejected

Rwanda partnership's value for money depends on deterring a significant number of illegal entries.

The success—and value for money—of the Rwanda partnership depends on whether it deters people from making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK, including small boat crossings. In 2023, the Home Office estimated that illegal entries need to reduce by one third from 2022 levels for the policy to represent …

Government response. The government notes the recommendation, stating that the evaluation of deterrent impact and value for money for the MEDP policy will not proceed because the policy's operationalisation has ceased.
HM Treasury
26 Conclusion Thirty-Fourth Report - Asylum Accommoda… Rejected

Home Office lacks clear methodology and data for assessing Rwanda scheme's deterrent effect.

Assessing the deterrent effect, and thus value for money, of the scheme will be complex. The Home Office recognised that it will be difficult to isolate the impact of the Rwanda partnership from other government policies intended to stop small boat crossings and reduce illegal migration, such as the agreement …

Government response. The government states that the evaluation of the deterrent impact and value for money for the MEDP policy will not proceed because the policy's operationalisation has ceased.
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
15 Apr 2024 Dan Hobbs · Home Office, Joanna Rowland · Home Office, Simon Ridley · Home Office, Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE · Home Office View ↗

Correspondence

2 letters
DateDirectionTitle
20 May 2024 — Correspondence from David Fairbrother, Treasury Officer of Accounts, HM Treasur…
29 Apr 2024 — Correspondence from Sir Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Secretary, Home Office, re A…