The U.K.’s new Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has strongly criticized a failed proposal by former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to relocate migrants to Rwanda. Cooper described the plan as a “shocking waste of taxpayer money,” which amounted to £700 million ($904 million).
Upon taking office this month, Keir Starmer, Sunak’s successor, promptly terminated the controversial plan. Sunak’s initiative, dubbed “stopping the boats,” was designed to curb the influx of asylum-seekers crossing the English Channel from France. However, it faced legal challenges and significant criticism from human rights groups.
Cooper detailed the expenses of the unsuccessful plan, including £290 million paid to Rwanda, costs associated with chartering flights that never took off, the detention and subsequent release of hundreds of individuals, and the employment of over a thousand civil servants to implement the initiative. She also disclosed that the previous government had intended to spend over £10 billion of taxpayers’ money on the project without informing Parliament.
The Rwandan government has stated that it has no obligation to reimburse the funds at the center of the controversy. Meanwhile, the issue of dangerous small boat crossings continues, with expectations of more incidents over the summer months. Cooper emphasized the need for stronger actions against people-smuggling but did not provide specific details.
Official data revealed that nearly 1,500 migrants arrived in the U.K. via small boats across the English Channel in just one week. Tragically, two individuals lost their lives during rescue operations off the northern French coast.
Sunak’s strategy aimed to address the global increase in migrants, which peaked at 46,000 in 2022, making the perilous journey across the English Channel. The government argued that these migrants should not be considered genuine refugees as they did not seek asylum in the first safe country they reached.
In 2022, the U.K. reached an agreement with Rwanda to transfer migrants who arrived as stowaways or by boat to the East African nation for asylum processing. However, the plan faced significant criticism from human rights groups, who deemed it impractical and unethical due to the distance involved.
Despite legal challenges in U.K. courts, no deportation flights to Rwanda were carried out. Only four individuals voluntarily relocated to Rwanda, according to Cooper. The Supreme Court of Britain ruled the policy unlawful in November, stating that Rwanda is not a safe third country for migrant transfers. The justices unanimously agreed that sending claimants to Rwanda could expose them to the risk of ill-treatment and potential deportation to their home countries.
Main Image: The New York Times