In a dramatic first move as Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer has pulled the plug on the UK's controversial Rwanda deportation scheme, declaring the controversial policy 'dead and buried' after taking office.
The Labour leader confirmed during his first press conference that the £290 million programme, a cornerstone of Rishi Sunak's immigration strategy, would be scrapped immediately. Starmer didn't mince words, labelling the scheme an 'expensive gimmick' that had spectacularly failed to achieve its intended purpose.
£290 Million Down the Drain
'The Rwanda scheme was dead and buried before it started,' Starmer stated emphatically. 'It's never acted as a deterrent. We've seen that the numbers have gone up, not down, since the scheme was introduced.'
The Prime Minister's comments come after official figures revealed that a record 882 migrants made the perilous Channel crossing in small boats on Tuesday alone - the highest single-day total since late 2022.
New Approach to Border Security
Rather than reviving what he called 'the gimmicks of the past,' Starmer announced plans for a new Border Security Command. This specialised unit will bring together expertise from the National Crime Agency, intelligence officers, and police to systematically dismantle the criminal smuggling networks operating across the Channel.
'We can't carry on with the gimmick that the Rwanda scheme was,' Starmer emphasised. 'We are going to put the staff and the resources into a Border Security Command that will work with international agencies to stop the boats and stop the smuggling.'
International Cooperation Over Unworkable Schemes
The new government appears to be shifting toward a strategy of enhanced international cooperation rather than unilateral deportation schemes. This approach marks a significant departure from the previous administration's policy and signals a complete overhaul of Britain's immigration framework.
With the Rwanda scheme officially consigned to history, all eyes will be on how effectively Starmer's new Border Security Command can tackle the complex challenge of small boat crossings that have dominated UK immigration debates for years.
