LONDON (dpa-AFX) – The controversial asylum pact to deport irregular migrants to Rwanda is costing British taxpayers up to half a billion pounds (584 million euros), according to the Court of Auditors. In addition, there could be hundreds of thousands of pounds per asylum seeker, as the Court of Auditors announced on Friday.
That is significantly more money than was previously known. The Conservative government had so far confirmed costs of £290 million, but refused to say how much more money London had promised Rwanda. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke of a “worthwhile investment”. Taxpayers are currently paying millions of pounds a day to house asylum seekers in hotels and other accommodation, Sunak said.
The opposition, however, reacted indignantly. “This report lays bare the national scandal that the Tories are trying to cover up,” Labor’s domestic affairs spokeswoman Yvette Cooper said. She stressed that only one percent of asylum seekers would likely be sent to East Africa on a few symbolic flights if the plan ever comes into force.
With the asylum pact, which critics say violates human rights, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wants to deter irregular migrants from entering Great Britain. Anyone who comes into the country without the necessary documents should be flown to Rwanda regardless of their personal circumstances and can apply for asylum there. A return to Great Britain is not possible. To this end, Sunak wants Rwanda to be declared a safe third country by law. However, the corresponding draft is met with resistance in the upper house.
As the Court of Auditors has now determined, London will pay Kigali £50 million each in addition to the £290 million already paid this year and in 2025 and 2026. Once the first 300 migrants arrive in Rwanda, a further £120 million will be due. For each asylum seeker, an additional £150,000 is charged for accommodation, food, training and health care. This includes £11,000 in flight costs per person. 12.6 million pounds are earmarked for the training of security forces at the start and then one million per year./bvi/DP/jha