The UK has sent back its first failed asylum seeker to Rwanda under a new program that offers migrants up to £3,000 to return to the east African country voluntarily. This program, separate from a forced returns scheme announced earlier, aims to expedite the return process for rejected asylum seekers.
The unnamed man, as reported by The Sun, was flown out of the UK on a commercial flight after exhausting all rights to stay in the country. The move has sparked criticism, with Labour accusing the government of rushing the flight before local elections in England.
Under the scheme introduced in March, failed asylum seekers and others with no right to remain in the UK, including foreign criminals, can receive payments to cover temporary accommodation, education costs, or business setup expenses in their home country.
Last year, over 19,000 people without the right to stay in the UK were voluntarily removed, with over 3,000 receiving assistance from the Home Office. Shadow foreign secretary Yvette Cooper criticized the scheme, calling it a "pre-election gimmick" that wastes taxpayer money.
This development comes as Rwanda has agreed to accept 5,700 asylum seekers under a separate forced returns scheme aimed at deterring future migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats. Despite legal delays, the scheme is set to begin in the summer after new legislation was enacted to override a Supreme Court ruling.
While the Home Office claims it can immediately locate over 2,000 asylum seekers for detention before their flights, it denies losing track of the remaining 3,500 individuals subject to various monitoring requirements. Downing Street remains confident in their ability to track these individuals, although there is a possibility of some absconding before they can be detained.
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