Asylum seekers sent to Rwanda who commit serious crimes could end up being deported back to the UK under the terms of the deal struck by Home Secretary James Cleverly.

The treaty is aimed at guaranteeing that those sent to Rwanda would not subsequently be transferred to a country where they could be at risk, a principle known as non-refoulement.

If someone sent from the UK to Rwanda commits a crime which results in a jail term of five years, after serving their sentence they could be stripped of their refugee status in the African country.

But under the terms of the treaty signed by Mr Cleverly, the only country to which they could then be sent would be the UK.

Downing Street said people sent to Rwanda would only return in “exceptional” circumstances.

“Anyone who commits a crime in Rwanda having been relocated, they will be expected to serve their sentence in Rwanda,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

“There are hypothetical circumstances, exceptional circumstances in which individuals could be returned to the UK.

“As a first position, if you commit a crime in Rwanda, you’re serving your sentence in Rwanda.”

There would be a “high bar” for sending someone back to the UK, the spokesman said.

But the official declined to give examples of circumstances in which someone could return to the UK because “that would perhaps only benefit those who would seek to subvert the system”.