Labour's new Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, revealed that £700m was wasted on the Rwanda deportation scheme.
Only four individuals went voluntarily to Rwanda under the scheme.
The controversial plan faced legal challenges and criticism from human rights groups and legal experts.
The Labour government has since scrapped the plan and promised to save taxpayers an estimated £7bn over the next 10 years.
The Rwanda scheme, a controversial plan introduced by the previous Conservative government to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing and resettlement, cost taxpayers an astonishing £700m. This revelation was made by the new Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, during her first address to Parliament after Labour's landslide election victory.
The scheme, which was championed as a solution to tackle irregular migration and stop people from making dangerous crossings in small boats across the English Channel, faced numerous legal challenges and criticism from human rights groups and legal experts. It was deemed unlawful by Britain's top court last year.
Despite these challenges, only four individuals went voluntarily to Rwanda this year under the scheme. The costs included payments to Rwanda, chartering flights that never took off, detaining and releasing people, and civil service salaries.
Ms Cooper described the expenditure as “the most shocking waste of taxpayers' money I have ever seen.” The Labour government has since scrapped the plan and promised to process all asylum claims, end the use of hotels to accommodate asylum seekers, and clear a backlog of claims. This shift in policy is estimated to save taxpayers an estimated £7bn over the next 10 years.
The last Conservative government spent over $900 million on a controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Four people went voluntarily to Rwanda this year, receiving £3,000 each.
At least 19 people have died and more than 15,000 people have made the crossing in small boats in the English Channel in 2024.
Boris Johnson's government introduced the Rwanda policy in 2022 and it was deemed unlawful by Britain’s top court last year.
Rishi Sunak passed a law declaring Rwanda a ‘safe country’ to circumvent the Supreme Court ruling and continued promoting the plan ahead of the July 4 general election.
Human rights groups and legal experts warned that the policy would breach Britain’s obligations under domestic and international law.
Accuracy
The British government spent over £700 million directly on the plan so far.
Only four people had gone voluntarily to Rwanda this year.
Cost includes payments to Rwanda, chartering flights, detaining and releasing people, and civil service salaries.
Accuracy
The last Conservative government spent over $900 million on a controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Four people went voluntarily to Rwanda this year, receiving £3,000 each.
Approximately 21,000 extra Border Force officers could be paid with £700m for a year.
Britain struck a €120 million deal with Rwanda in April to send some migrants who had reached the U.K. illegally to live there.
Previous British government planned to spend 10 billion pounds on a now-scrapped plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Deception
(30%)
The author makes several statements that are not factual and use emotional manipulation. She accuses the previous government of creating an 'asylum Hotel California' without providing any evidence to support this claim. She also states that 'only a small minority might ever have been sent to Rwanda and everyone else stays indefinitely in taxpayer-funded accommodation and support.' This is a selective reporting of the facts, as it only mentions the potential negative aspects of the Rwanda scheme without acknowledging its intended purpose as a deterrent. The author also uses emotional language such as 'shocking waste' and 'most shocking waste' to manipulate readers' emotions. Additionally, she accuses the previous government of creating an 'amnesty,' but this is not an accurate description of their policy.
Ms Cooper said by scrapping the scheme the government would save ₤220m on further direct payments to Rwanda over the next few years, as well as up to ₤750m that has been put aside to cover the scheme this year.
The Conservatives’ Rwanda scheme cost taxpayers ₤700m, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said.
Ms Cooper also accused the previous Conservative government of creating an ‘asylum Hotel California’, where people arrived in the asylum system and were put up in taxpayer-funded accommodation but never left.
She added: ‘A scheme to send four people, it is the most shocking waste of taxpayers’ money I have ever seen.’
Fallacies
(85%)
The author uses hyperbole when stating that the Rwanda scheme is 'the most shocking waste of taxpayers’ money I have ever seen.' This is an exaggeration and a subjective statement. The author also accuses the previous government of creating an 'asylum Hotel California,' which is a metaphorical statement that may not accurately reflect the situation. These statements are informal fallacies as they involve emotional language and exaggeration.
"A scheme to send four people, it is the most shocking waste of taxpayers' money I have ever seen,"
"The previous government's policy was effectively an amnesty and that is the wrong thing to do."
Bias
(80%)
The author uses the term 'most shocking waste of taxpayers' money I have ever seen' to express her opinion on the cost of the Rwanda scheme. This is an example of ideological bias as it shows a clear preference for saving money over implementing a potentially effective deterrent for illegal immigration.
A scheme to send four people, it is the most shocking waste of taxpayers’ money I have ever seen.
The level of discourtesy, directed towards the people and government of Rwanda is quite breathtaking.
New Labour government scrapped the controversial plan and it has already cost taxpayers 700 million pounds.
Shift in policy would save taxpayers an estimated 7 billion pounds over the next 10 years.
Accuracy
Previous British government planned to spend 10 billion pounds on a now-scrapped plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Costs include money for chartering flights, payment to the Rwanda government, and work of government officials.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s new government promised to process asylum claims, end use of hotels for accommodating asylum seekers and clear a backlog of claims.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(95%)
The article contains an appeal to authority when the author quotes Yvette Cooper stating 'It is the most shocking waste of taxpayers money that I have ever seen.' This statement is an opinion and does not provide any logical reasoning or evidence to support it. However, since this is the only fallacy found in the article and it does not significantly impact the overall content, I am scoring it a 95.
It is the most shocking waste of taxpayers money that I have ever seen,
