Guardian

Rwanda plan to cost UK £1.8m for each asylum seeker, figures show

The UK parliament on Monday finally approved a controversial deportation bill that will allow the government to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, with the law expected to come into force within days.

After legislators in the House of Commons already rejected two amendments proposed by the House of Lords last week, the bill cleared the final hurdle when the Lords finally decided not to table any further amendments.

Dw.Com

In a press release, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government's focus is now to "get flights off the ground", with Home Secretary James Cleverly commenting that the first deportation flights are due to start "within 10-12 weeks."

GOV.UK

Formulated in 2022, the Rwanda plan provides for asylum seekers who arrive illegally in the UK to be sent to Rwanda. The policy is intended to deter people from crossing the Channel and undermine the traffickers' business model.

France 24

Meanwhile, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper from the opposition Labour Party slammed the deportation scheme as an "extortionately expensive gimmick", and rights groups claimed it violates international law.

The bill was long delayed due to attempts to amend it, and last year the UK Supreme Court found that the policy was unlawful. In 2022, 45,744 migrants reportedly crossed the Channel, while net migration amounted to 745K.

UK Passes Controversial Rwanda Deportation Bill

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UK Passes Controversial Rwanda Deportation Bill

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