The United Kingdom is set to deport around 10,000 Bangladesh nationals who were unsuccessful in their asylum claims last year, according to a report by The Telegraph.
The individuals, whose asylum bids were rejected, were set to be returned to Bangladesh under an expedited deportations agreement signed by the two countries recently.
Last year, nearly 11,000 Bangladesh nationals entered the UK on various visas, only to later file asylum claims within a year in an attempt to secure permanent residency, the report said.
However, the success rate for initial asylum claims among Bangladeshis stands at a mere 5 per cent.
The report indicated that these migrants arrived on international student, worker, or visitor visas, exploiting what was perceived as a 'back door' to Britain by shifting their status to asylum seekers.
The United Kingdom inked a fast-track returns deal with Bangladesh aiming at expediting the deportation process not only for failed asylum seekers but also foreign national offenders and individuals who have overstayed their visas.
The agreement was reached during the inaugural joint UK-Bangladesh working group on home affairs in London, where both nations affirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation on economic, cultural, and social matters.
British minister for countering illegal migration Michael Tomlinson and Bangladesh's high commissioner in London Saida Muna Tasneem opened the joint working group.
Tomlinson emphasised the importance of accelerating deportations as a crucial component of the UK's strategy to curb illegal immigration, praising Bangladesh as a valuable partner in addressing this issue.
Official documents leaked last month, covering the period up to March 2023, reveal a staggering 154 per cent annual surge in asylum claims made by visa holders, reaching a record high of 21,525 claims, the report said.
This translates to approximately one asylum claim for every 140 visa entrants. Over the past decade, more than 102,000 individuals have sought to remain in the UK permanently after initially being granted temporary entry.
Pakistan topped the list of nationalities among claimants, with nearly 17,400 cases, followed by Bangladesh with 11,000, India with 7,400, Nigeria with 6,600, and Afghanistan with 6,000.
Additionally, the joint working group pledged to facilitate legal migration through existing visa pathways, combat illegal migration through enhanced cooperation on visa misuse, and bolster data-sharing efforts.