Sunday, July 24, 2022
£120 million lost on Rwanda policy
The Mirror reports that UK taxpayers have already shelled out £120 million to Rwanda over the controversial deportation project - and won't get it back if judges torpedo the scheme.
The High Court is currently weighing up whether the controversial plan - unveiled by Priti Patel earlier this year - is legal, with deportations understood to be on hold until at least September. However, officials from the central African nation have said that the cash is already committed, and much of it already been spent, and so will not be returned.
Furthermore, the UK's high commissioner to Rwanda Joanne Lomas, who has since left her post, last year voiced concerns that asylum seekers had been recruited to fight for the Rwandan armed forces in conflicts abroad:
Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo confirmed that if the scheme were to be scrapped, the UK government would not be able to claim back the cash it has already shelled out.
"There was an initial transfer of £120 million, this has already been paid and we're using these funds to prepare," she said when asked if the payment may be returned.
"It's paid over, it's committed, part of it has been used and we're committing the rest of it to ensure that we're ready to receive the migrants."
Meanwhile Doris Uwicyeza Picard, chief advisor to the Rwandan Minister of Justice, said: "There has been some commitment to ensure that we are prepared to receive them and accommodate them properly."
Ms Picard she was "confident" the programme was legal, but added: "In the eventuality that the court would see fit to deem otherwise, we're committed to continue working and providing African solutions to these problems."
It is understood that future payments would be made to Rwanda once the programme gets underway, but the Home Office today declined to comment on the potential numbers.
Ms Picard said: "The financial commitments are contingent on the arrival of people, of relocated individuals so everything that is in place is in preparation for that."
All in all, this policy is an expensive mess that will do nothing to stop people trafficking.
The High Court is currently weighing up whether the controversial plan - unveiled by Priti Patel earlier this year - is legal, with deportations understood to be on hold until at least September. However, officials from the central African nation have said that the cash is already committed, and much of it already been spent, and so will not be returned.
Furthermore, the UK's high commissioner to Rwanda Joanne Lomas, who has since left her post, last year voiced concerns that asylum seekers had been recruited to fight for the Rwandan armed forces in conflicts abroad:
Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo confirmed that if the scheme were to be scrapped, the UK government would not be able to claim back the cash it has already shelled out.
"There was an initial transfer of £120 million, this has already been paid and we're using these funds to prepare," she said when asked if the payment may be returned.
"It's paid over, it's committed, part of it has been used and we're committing the rest of it to ensure that we're ready to receive the migrants."
Meanwhile Doris Uwicyeza Picard, chief advisor to the Rwandan Minister of Justice, said: "There has been some commitment to ensure that we are prepared to receive them and accommodate them properly."
Ms Picard she was "confident" the programme was legal, but added: "In the eventuality that the court would see fit to deem otherwise, we're committed to continue working and providing African solutions to these problems."
It is understood that future payments would be made to Rwanda once the programme gets underway, but the Home Office today declined to comment on the potential numbers.
Ms Picard said: "The financial commitments are contingent on the arrival of people, of relocated individuals so everything that is in place is in preparation for that."
All in all, this policy is an expensive mess that will do nothing to stop people trafficking.
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The flip comment is that £120m is a drop in the ocean compared to the billions wasted on failed PPE.
More seriously, if the government wanted to deter people traffickers they should tackle the gangs head on. They could start with the UK citizen (probably one of several) identified in a Radio 4 series as moving with ease between England and Calais, supervising boat movements. Bribes to French police were alleged; one infers that English officials were also "sweetened".
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More seriously, if the government wanted to deter people traffickers they should tackle the gangs head on. They could start with the UK citizen (probably one of several) identified in a Radio 4 series as moving with ease between England and Calais, supervising boat movements. Bribes to French police were alleged; one infers that English officials were also "sweetened".
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