The troubled Rwanda deportation policy introduced by the former Conservative government is “dead and buried”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
The Prime Minister said he was “not prepared to continue with gimmicks” as he confirmed the multimillion-pound scheme to send some asylum seekers to Kigali is to be scrapped.
Before the general election, Labour had vowed to stop the plan “on day one” if it entered government.
At his first press conference since entering Number 10, Sir Keir told journalists in Downing Street: “The Rwanda scheme was dead and buried before it started. It’s never been a deterrent.
“Look at the numbers that have come over in the first six and a bit months of this year, they are record numbers, that is the problem that we are inheriting.”
He added: “The chances were of not going and not being processed, and staying here, therefore, in paid-for accommodation for a very, very long time.
“It’s had the complete opposite effect and I’m not prepared to continue with gimmicks that don’t act as a deterrent.”
No asylum seekers have been deported under the scheme, described by critics as an “Alice in Wonderland adventure that was both absurd and inhumane”.
But the financial implications of walking away from the deal and the total bill to the taxpayer are not yet known.
Sir Keir has said he will curb Channel crossings by hiring specialist investigators and using counter-terror powers to “smash the criminal gangs” behind the flow of migrants into the UK, but how this will work in practice remains largely unclear.
Earlier this year Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame suggested British taxpayers’ money could be repaid if the deal failed, though his view of the change in UK leadership is uncertain.
Yolande Makolo, a spokeswoman for his administration, later said the country had “no obligation” to return any of the funds but if the UK requested a refund “we will consider this”.
But she made clear this would only apply to a portion of funds which were specifically allocated to pay for support for migrants, with the remaining cash put towards boosting the east African nation’s economy as part of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership.
The previous government was often accused of secrecy over payments agreed for the policy, which was confirmed to come with a price tag of at least £290 million, but an investigation by Whitehall’s spending watchdog found its cost could soar to around half a billion pounds if implemented.
Since April scores of people, reportedly as many as 200, who were due to be deported have been released on bail by immigration judges because there was no longer a realistic prospect of removal within a reasonable timescale.
The change in UK Government is likely to spark a string of other bail applications by lawyers for remaining detainees with a strong case for release.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel