- Rwanda scheme costs soar
- Legal challenges delay start
- Criticism over financial transparency
The Home Office has so far declined to specify how much the United Kingdom has agreed to pay Kigali in addition to the £290 million already confirmed under the stalled plan. A National Audit Office report, however, has revealed millions in additional costs.
The cost of the stalled Rwanda asylum programme could soar to half a billion pounds, according to an investigation by the public spending watchdog.
The Home Office has so far declined to specify how much the United Kingdom has agreed to pay Kigali in addition to the £290 million already confirmed under the contentious plan.
A National Audit Office (NAO) report, on the other hand, has uncovered millions in additional costs, such as £11,000 for each migrant’s plane ticket.
Labour has dubbed the figures “the national scandal the Tories have been trying to hide.”
Although the Rwanda policy was officially announced in April 2022, it has yet to begin due to a series of legal challenges.
Despite this, £220 million has already been paid to the government in Kigali on behalf of the Economic Transformation and Integration Fund, which was established to support the growth of Rwanda.
Additionally, it was known that an additional £50 million was allocated for the partnership in the coming year. However, according to the NAO, the same amount will be transferred to Rwanda in 2025 and 2026, bringing the total to £370 million.
After the initial 300 migrants have been resettled, ministers have also agreed to contribute an additional £120 million to the fund, bringing the grand total to £490 million.
Furthermore, Rwanda will receive an additional £20,000 for each asylum seeker who is relocated to the country.
If they remain in the country for five years, the Home Office will pay an additional nearly £151,000 per person to cover asylum processing and integration expenses, including housing, food, healthcare, and education.
The United Kingdom would cease providing remittances to that individual in the event of their departure, but it would still allocate a single sum of £10,000 to Rwanda to aid in their departure process.
Rwanda Scheme’s Costly Implications
The NAO stated that the initial five-year agreement runs until April 2027, with payments possibly continuing until 2033.
In response to concerns raised by the chairmen of the Public Accounts Committee and Home Affairs Committee (HAC) regarding the lack of information available to parliament, the watchdog launched an investigation into the costs.
The Labour chair of the HAC, Dame Diana Johnson, described the figures as “staggering” and stated it was unclear how the initiative would deliver value for money.
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Rishi Sunak, however, defended the Rwanda policy, stating, “The current situation is both untenable and unfair.”
“It is indefensible that taxpayers are already spending millions of pounds daily to house illegal immigrants in hotels across the country.” I therefore prioritised stopping the boats.
I am pleased to see that we have made progress; the numbers were down by a third last year.
“To fully solve this issue, we need a deterrent,” he continued. We must be able to say that unauthorised immigrants will not be allowed to stay and will be deported to a safe country.
The Rwanda scheme is crucial for this reason. It is an investment that will pay off, and I am determined to see it through.
The Supreme Court declared the halted plan of the prime minister unlawful in November, dealing it an additional setback.
Sunak’s Controversial Rwanda Plan
Mr. Sunak, whose premiership has been predicated on “stopping the boats,” is ratifying a new treaty with Kigali and enacting legislation designating Rwanda as a safe country in an effort to revive the plan.
The Protection of Rwanda bill is currently making its way through a House of Lords that is opposed to the proposal.
There is diminishing time left for flights to commence operations before the upcoming general election, expected to occur later this year.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary for the Labour Party, stated, “This investigation exposes the Conservatives’ attempt to hide a national scandal. The startling analysis reveals that the costs associated with the failed Rwanda farce are even higher than previously estimated.
Over half a billion pounds will be required from the taxpayer to transport a symbolic number of asylum seekers from the United Kingdom to Rwanda for less than one percent of the arrivals, with no way to recover the funds already transferred.
“Rishi Sunak has staked his position on this scheme,” she continued. He is obliged to explain this failure.”
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, stated, “These figures show the exorbitant cost that the Rwandan government will demand from taxpayers for an impractical and inhumane plan that will not deter people from seeking refuge on our shores.”
