[2025] UKUT 00154 (IAC)

The afternoon before the hearing

The afternoon before the hearing, the Home Secretary published the following statement on the Home Office website

“Guidance: Asylum claims under the Migration and Economic Development Partnership

Published 8 April 2025

By way of update on the status of this group of asylum claims, the Home Office has discontinued inadmissibility action and is committed to substantively considering the merits of the asylum claims (these concern individuals who arrived in the UK on or after 1 January 2022 and who were issued notices before 29 June 2023, informing them that they may be removed to Rwanda).

There remain a diminishing number of asylum claims in this group that are pending decision. The Home Office confirms that work is progressing and will continue until all claims have received a substantive asylum decision. Whilst a rigid timeframe for completion cannot be given, it is estimated that all workable cases should be finalised by the end of the year at the latest.”

We will refer to this as the “8 April statement”.

This statement prompted the Applicant to apply to the Tribunal for permission to withdraw his claim and for an order that the Home Secretary pay the costs of the proceedings. That application prompted the Home Secretary to make her own application for costs.