Rishi Sunak's government has said it will not accept returned migrants from Ireland. (Image: Getty)
The UK looks set to reject any asylum seekers being sent back to Britain from Ireland until they can then be sent to France.
Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris had asked his Justice Minister to change the law regarding the designation of safe third countries so inadmissible asylum seekers could be returned to the UK.
However, according to LBC, the UK Government has said it would not accept any asylum seekers refused entry into Ireland that have come from the European Union.
It says it would consider this should the EU accept asylum seekers could be returned to France.
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak slams illegal migration and its supporters as he fumes it's 'wrong'
Simon Harris wanted the UK to accept returned asylum seekers. (Image: Getty)
Speaking to the broadcaster, a government source said: "We won't accept any asylum returns from the EU via Ireland until the EU accepts that we can send them back to France.
“We are fully focused on operationalising our Rwanda scheme and will continue working with the French to stop the boats from crossing the channel.”
A row has broken out over asylum seekers after it emerged illegal immigrants are trying to make their way to Ireland over fears they could be sent to Rwanda.
Figures show that in the year leading up to April 2023, Ireland saw a 16-year-high arrivals rate, with more than 140,000 immigrants applying.
Don't miss... Ireland's Rwanda criticism shows EU's 'fear of Brexit Britain' [LATEST]
The number of migrants arriving in Ireland has increased this year. (Image: Getty)
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It revealed more than 80 percent have arrived in Ireland from the United Kingdom.
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And while deputy Irish PM Micheál Martin labelling the Rwanda policy "knee-jerk", it would seem Ireland is happy to risk sending asylum seekers back to Britain even though they could face deportation.
A spokesman for the Taoiseach previously said that while they won’t comment on the migration policies of Britain, “he is very clear about the importance of protecting the integrity of the migration system”.
Ireland’s justice minister Helen McEntee is set to travel to the UK on Monday to discuss a returns policy with the UK Government.
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