Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed that deportation flights to Rwanda will not take off before the general election on 4 July, prompting criticism from both Labour and Conservative right-wingers. The admission came during a BBC interview, where Sunak stated the scheme would only commence after the election if he is re-elected.
The £500 million plan, central to the government's pledge to 'stop the boats', has faced repeated legal challenges and operational delays. A human rights charity and a union have launched fresh legal action, while Channel crossings have reached record highs in early 2024, undermining claims of a deterrent effect.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused Sunak of never believing the plan would work, calling the election early to avoid it being tested. Right-wing Tories expressed frustration, with one former minister saying Sunak should have ensured a flight departed before the election. Another suggested Sunak was unwilling to confront the European Court of Human Rights, which halted a previous flight in 2022.
Refugee charities described the plan as a 'dead duck'. Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council called it an 'Alice in Wonderland adventure that was both absurd and inhumane'. The National Audit Office estimated the scheme would cost £1.8 million per person for the first 300 deportees.
Labour has pledged to scrap the Rwanda scheme if elected, redirecting £75 million to a new border force command. Sunak warned this would amount to an 'amnesty' for illegal migrants. The controversy comes as revised official figures show net migration fell by 10% last year but remains three times the 2019 level, with immigration set to be a key election issue.
