- Written by Paul Seddon
- BBC News political reporter
image source, Getty Images
It has been revealed that the UK has sent back the first failed asylum seeker to Rwanda under its voluntary departure programme.
The scheme, announced last month, will give migrants whose applications have been rejected up to £3,000 to help them move to the East African country.
This is separate from the forced return plan announced by the government two years ago.
The plan has been plagued by delays, but is expected to begin by mid-July.
Officials did not provide further details other than to say the asylum seeker had exhausted all rights to remain in the UK.
The Rwandan government confirmed that one of the failed asylum seekers arrived on a flight from London on Tuesday.
Labor said the move showed ministers were “desperate” to get on a plane to Rwanda before Thursday’s UK local elections.
The scheme, announced in March, is understood to be a variation on the existing voluntary return scheme for people who have failed their asylum applications.
The scheme will be open to other people and foreign criminals who do not have the right to stay in the UK.
The Home Office says payments under the current system will “cover” the cost of temporary accommodation, education or setting up a business in the destination country.
Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch suggested the fact that someone had volunteered to go to Rwanda undermined the argument that Rwanda was not a safe country.
Responding to criticism of being paid £3,000 for relocation, she told Sky News there were no “cost-free options” for border control.
Official figures show 19,253 people without the right to remain were voluntarily expelled from the UK last year.
Of these, 3,319 received a “reintegration package” or a flight ticket paid for by the Home Office.
Jacqueline McKenzie, Partner and Head of Immigration at Leigh Day Solicitors, has heard from her contacts that many people, including very vulnerable people, have recently been offered this package to Rwanda. He said he knew.
“Given the amount of calls we’ve received so far, I’m surprised more people haven’t gone, even though it’s a good idea,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow foreign secretary, called news of the voluntary repatriation a “pre-election gimmick”, adding that taxpayers were “paying £3,000 for volunteers to get on the plane”.
“The Conservative Party is desperate to get on a plane to Rwanda before local elections and is now paying someone to go,” she added.
This came after the Home Office confirmed that Rwanda had agreed to take in an initial batch of 5,700 asylum seekers under a separate deportation scheme.
The plan, which the government says will prevent future migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats, has been stalled by legal delays.
The Home Office said 2,143 asylum seekers had reported to the ministry and could be immediately located for detention before the flight departed.
Downing Street insisted on Tuesday it remained confident about their place after the figures were published as part of a policy paper.
However, government officials acknowledged that some people may flee before being taken into custody.
