Robert Jenrick has slammed the “ludicrous” plot to pay migrants to move to Rwanda and accused ministers of “astonishing naivety”.
Failed asylum seekers could be given up to £3,000 to board a flight to Kigali after an agreement was struck between the UK and Rwandan Governments.
But the former Immigration Minister launched a blistering attack on Wednesday, claiming the Government has “conceded” the Rwanda Bill will not allow them “to enforce mass removals”.
Mr Jenrick declared: “This is an admission from the government that the weaker version of the Rwanda scheme they chose to pursue will not work. The version of the Rwanda Bill I proposed – and over 60 Conservative MPs supported amendments to deliver – would have made this unnecessary.
“The government have tacitly conceded that, unlike our plan, their Bill doesn’t give them the legal powers required to enforce mass removals of illegal migrants to Rwanda. So instead they will attempt to pay those who have flagrantly broken our laws to leave the UK.
“It’s a betrayal of the original intent of the Rwanda scheme, which was to create a robust and sustainable deterrent. Symbolic flights of people being paid to leave isn’t a strategy to stop the boats and end this national security emergency.
“If the reports are accurate, these voluntary returns would consume Rwanda’s finite resources, and so actually make the swift, enforced removal of small boat arrivals that are required to establish the intended deterrent effect much harder.
“Even on its own terms, the proposal is ludicrous. Faced with a life in the UK, with all the benefits that accompany it, or travelling to Rwanda, almost all failed asylum seekers will choose the former. It speaks to astonishing naivety about what we face.”
The Home Office last year rejected 30,967 asylum applications. More than 19,000 foreign nationals opted to leave the UK voluntarily, including 4,010 failed asylum seekers and 15,243 foreign criminals or migrants who had overstayed their visas.
Migrants have already been approached about taking a £3,000 deal to voluntarily board a flight to Rwanda, the Daily Express understands.
Immigration officials have approached failed asylum seekers over the last “day or two” after a new deal was struck between the UK and Rwanda.
They will be eligible to move to Rwanda under the ‘voluntary returns scheme’ after having their asylum application rejected.
It is separate from the Conservative Government’s plan to deport to the east African country those arriving via small boats in the English Channel.
Ministers believe the move will ease the housing crisis, by allowing the Home Office to release asylum accommodation, and end the small boats crisis.
This is, in part, because it will indicate to migrants that Rwanda is safe because some asylum seekers are voluntarily choosing to go there.
And it is considered value for money as housing migrants in hotel rooms is costing taxpayers £8 million-per-day.
