UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s new Labour government has scrapped the controversial plan to fly thousands of asylum seekers from Britain to Rwanda in its first major policy announcement after winning a commanding election victory earlier this month. The decision to abandon the scheme marks a significant shift in the UK’s approach to managing asylum claims.
The now-cancelled plan, initiated by the previous Conservative government, was set to spend £10bn on deporting asylum seekers to the East African nation. However, Home Secretary (Interior Minister) Yvette Cooper revealed on Monday that the project had already cost taxpayers £700 million without any significant implementation. This amount includes money spent on chartering flights that never departed, administrative costs, and a £290 million payment to the Rwandan government.
‘It is the most shocking waste of taxpayers’ money that I have ever seen,’ Cooper told parliament. The original plan, announced in 2022, aimed to deter illegal immigration by sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, but legal challenges have meant no one has been forcibly sent there, except for four individuals who went under a voluntary scheme.
Cooper also announced that tens of thousands of asylum seekers left in limbo under the threat of deportation to Rwanda will now have their claims processed within the UK. Additionally, the Labour government plans to reverse a provision in the Illegal Migration Act that barred anyone arriving illegally since March last year from being granted asylum.
The government promises to expedite the processing of asylum claims, end the costly use of hotels for accommodation, and clear the backlog of applications. Cooper highlighted that this policy shift is projected to save taxpayers an estimated £7bn over the next decade.
‘We have inherited asylum Hotel California: people arrive in the asylum system and they never leave,’ Cooper added, stressing the inefficiencies of the previous system.
This policy change signifies a move towards handling asylum claims domestically and focuses on reducing costs and improving the system’s efficiency. The Labour government aims to ensure a more humane and economically viable approach to asylum seekers, marking a significant departure from the previous administration’s strategy.
