The UK government has unveiled a new scheme to encourage failed asylum seekers to relocate to Rwanda. Under this voluntary programme, individuals whose asylum claims have been rejected will be offered up to £3,000 (about 2.3 million FCFA) to rebuild their lives in the East African nation.
This initiative comes as a potential alternative to the government’s previously announced plan to send asylum seekers deemed to have arrived illegally directly to Rwanda. That scheme has faced legal roadblocks due to concerns about Rwanda’s human rights record.
“This is about saying to people ‘If you come here, you can’t stay here if you come here illegally,'” said Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake, defending the use of public funds for the relocation program. He argued that the cost of supporting asylum seekers who cannot legally stay in the UK outweighs the one-time payment offered under the new scheme.
The program is not limited to failed asylum seekers. It will also be open to other individuals with no right to remain in the UK, including foreign criminals. Those who choose to relocate will be granted the right to work in Rwanda and receive additional support upon arrival.
However, the opposition Labour Party has cast doubt on the effectiveness of the plan. Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock questioned Rwanda’s capacity to absorb a significant number of people and criticized the lack of transparency surrounding the initiative.
“There have been so many confused briefings around the Rwanda policy that the public will be forgiven for treating this latest wheeze with a degree of scepticism,” Kinnock said.
The Home Office has yet to announce a start date for the relocation programme or estimate the number of participants. It remains to be seen whether this cash incentive approach will prove more successful than the government’s original deportation plan.
Costs of the original plan
The UK government’s original plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has come under scrutiny due to newly revealed financial details. While initial estimates suggested a cost of £240 million by the end of 2023, the National Audit Office (NAO) now reports the total bill could reach at least £370 million over five years.
This significant increase hinges on the number of asylum seekers relocated. If more than 300 are sent to Rwanda, the UK will pay an additional £120 million to boost the country’s economy, followed by ongoing payments of £20,000 per person. Shockingly, the NAO report also details a cost of up to £150,000 per relocated individual. This means it will cost the UK £63,000 more per person to deport a person, rather than keep them in the UK.
These figures contradict claims by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who previously stated the Rwanda plan would “save us billions in the long run.” Critics, including a report by MPs, point out the lack of clear explanation behind such assertions.
The UK’s current asylum system carries a hefty price tag, costing nearly £4 billion annually. Daily hotel accommodation alone consumes roughly £8 million. The inefficiency in processing asylum claims has led to a significant financial burden on taxpayers, according to a 2023 parliamentary report.
President Paul Kagame has indicated that he will return any funds paid by the UK if no asylum seekers are ultimately relocated to Rwanda. But it is not clear how that would be, given that expenses have already been incured in putting infrastructure in place.
