The newly elected Labour government in the UK has disclosed that the previous Conservative administration had planned to spend a whopping £10 billion on the now-abandoned Rwanda migrant scheme. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper lambasted the program as an unprecedented waste of taxpayer money, revealing that £700 million had already been spent on various aspects of the plan, including unused charter flights and payments to Rwanda.
The controversial scheme, announced in 2022, aimed to deter asylum seekers from crossing the English Channel by deporting them to Rwanda. However, legal challenges prevented its implementation, with only four individuals voluntarily relocating to the East African nation.
Cooper announced the reversal of key provisions of the Illegal Migration Act, including the ban on granting asylum to those arriving illegally since March of the previous year. The government now plans to process claims for thousands of asylum seekers left in limbo and end the costly practice of housing them in hotels.
These changes are projected to save taxpayers around £7 billion over the next decade. The Labour government’s approach marks a significant shift from the previous administration’s hardline stance on Channel crossings, which had been a major election issue.
The Rwanda plan faced numerous criticisms, with the UK Supreme Court ultimately declaring it unlawful due to concerns about Rwanda’s safety as a third country.