The U.K.’s new Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, labeled the scrapped plan by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to deport migrants to Rwanda as “the most shocking waste of taxpayer money” ever seen.
She estimated the cost at 700 million pounds ($904 million), including payments and other expenses.
Keir Starmer, Sunak’s successor, halted the controversial plan immediately upon taking office.
Sunak’s focus had been on curbing the flow of asylum-seekers across the English Channel, but his strategy faced legal issues and criticism from human rights groups.
Cooper detailed the plan’s costs, citing 290 million pounds paid to Rwanda, plus expenses for unflown charter flights, detainee management, and over a thousand civil servants working on it.
Rwanda’s government has stated it isn’t required to refund the money.
The Home Secretary warned that small boat crossings will likely continue through summer.
She acknowledged the need to address people-smuggling “upstream,” though she did not provide specifics.
The plan, designed to handle the surge of migrants crossing the Channel, faced legal challenges and no flights to Rwanda occurred.
The Supreme Court ruled the policy unlawful, as Rwanda was deemed unsafe for deported migrants.
