Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has confirmed the scrapping of the Rwanda deportation scheme, describing it as 'the biggest waste of taxpayer money I have ever seen'. The scheme, introduced by the previous Conservative government, cost £700 million and resulted in only four people voluntarily relocating to Rwanda.
Cooper told the Commons that the Conservative government had planned to spend £10 billion over six years, a figure never disclosed to Parliament. She formally notified Rwanda that the partnership was over, thanking them for working 'in good faith'. The Home Secretary criticised the policy as a 'costly con' that left taxpayers footing the bill.
The £700 million cost included £290 million in payments to Rwanda, chartering flights that never departed, detaining and releasing individuals, and employing over 1,000 civil servants. Cooper highlighted that the scheme's failure lies with the previous government, not Rwanda.
Labour scrapped the scheme immediately after winning the 4 July election. Cooper announced a new border security command combining police, intelligence, and immigration enforcement to target people smugglers. New offences will treat smugglers like terrorists and penalise social media companies failing to remove adverts for small boat crossings.
Cooper also condemned the Conservatives' Illegal Migration Act, calling it 'unworkable' and creating a 'Hotel California' situation where asylum seekers arrive but never leave. She warned that the asylum backlog could cost £30-40 billion over four years, double the annual police budget for England and Wales.
Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly accused Cooper of 'hyperbole and made-up numbers', claiming Labour scrapped the scheme on 'ideological grounds'. He warned that small boat crossings would worsen without a deterrent. Liberal Democrat Richard Foord called for a resettlement scheme to provide safe legal routes.
