U.K. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper Condemns Failed Rwanda Migrant Relocation Plan as a £700 Million “Waste” and Highlights Ongoing Immigration Challenges
Fiona Nanna, ForeMedia News
6 minutes read. Updated 12:13PM GMT Tues, 23July, 2024
In a recent parliamentary session, the United Kingdom’s new Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, denounced a failed proposal by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to relocate migrants to Rwanda. Cooper described the plan as a “shocking waste of taxpayer money” amounting to £700 million ($904 million).
New Leadership, New Direction
Upon assuming office earlier this month, Keir Starmer, who succeeded Sunak, promptly terminated the controversial initiative. The plan, which aimed to address the influx of asylum-seekers crossing the English Channel from France, was widely criticized by human rights organizations and faced significant legal challenges.
Financial Breakdown of the Failed Scheme
The Home Secretary outlined the substantial costs incurred by the failed plan. These included £290 million paid to Rwanda, expenses for chartering flights that never took off, and the detention and subsequent release of hundreds of individuals. Additionally, over a thousand civil servants were employed to implement the initiative, further inflating the costs. Cooper also revealed that the previous government had intended to use over £10 billion of taxpayer money for the project without informing Parliament.
Rwanda’s Stance and the Issue of Small Boat Crossings
Despite the controversy, the government of Rwanda maintained that it was not obligated to reimburse the funds involved. The Home Secretary emphasized the ongoing challenge of dangerous small boat crossings, which are expected to continue throughout the summer months. She called for increased action against people-smuggling but did not provide specific measures.
Migrant Arrivals and Tragic Losses
Official data showed that nearly 1,500 migrants arrived in the U.K. via small boats across the English Channel within just one week. Tragically, two individuals lost their lives during rescue operations off the northern French coast. Sunak’s strategy aimed to address the growing number of global migrants, which peaked at 46,000 in 2022, making the perilous journey across the English Channel.
Agreement with Rwanda and Legal Challenges
In 2022, the U.K. reached an agreement with Rwanda to transfer migrants arriving as stowaways or by boat to the East African nation for asylum processing. However, the plan was heavily criticized by human rights groups as impractical and unethical due to the distance involved. Despite legal battles in U.K. courts, no deportation flights to Rwanda were conducted. Only four individuals voluntarily relocated to Rwanda, according to Cooper.
Supreme Court Ruling
In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court of Britain ruled the policy unlawful in November. The court stated that Rwanda is not a safe third country for migrant transfers, as it could expose claimants to the risk of ill-treatment and potential deportation to their home countries. The justices unanimously agreed on the potential dangers involved in the transfer process.
For more details on the implications of this failed scheme and ongoing immigration policies, read the full article on BBC News.
