Armenia refutes engaging in any substantial or technical discussions with the United Kingdom regarding the potential reception of expelled illegal migrants, as reported by a British newspaper citing leaked documents.
According to The Times, the Foreign Office is exploring negotiations with additional countries for third-country asylum processing agreements akin to the one established with Rwanda. The article alleges talks with Armenia, Ivory Coast, Costa Rica, and Botswana for similar schemes.
While the report identifies certain South American nations as less inclined towards such deals, it also mentions African countries either on a reserve list or explicitly declining participation in negotiations.
Responding to inquiries from RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry neither confirmed nor denied any offer from the UK, emphasizing the broad political dialogue between the two nations but clarifying the absence of specific negotiations on the reported issue.
Armenia and the United Kingdom initiated a strategic dialogue last year, marked by high-level visits; however, official reports of these visits did not indicate discussions regarding third-country illegal migrants.
