Migrants earmarked for deportations to Rwanda detained ‘swiftly’ in raids

Immigration enforcement officers have “swiftly” detained migrants that will be deported to Rwanda in raids on Wednesday morning.

Over the past two days immigration officers have conducted raids and will send the migrants to immigrations removal centres where they will be held before being deported in July.

Between January 2022 and June 2023 5,700 migrants submitted applications for asylum which were denied, they were then informed they will be deported to Rwanda.

The migrants are to be detained at seven immigration removal centres where foreign criminals are also being held for deportation.

James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, said, “Our Rwanda Partnership is a pioneering response to the global challenge of illegal migration, and we have worked tirelessly to introduce new, robust legislation to deliver it.

“Our dedicated enforcement teams are working at pace to swiftly detain those who have no right to be here so we can get flights off the ground.

“This is a complex piece of work, but we remain absolutely committed to operationalising the policy, to stop the boats and break the business model of people smuggling gangs.”

On Tuesday evening an unnamed man was deported voluntarily to Rwanda on a commercial flight and paid up to £3,000 of taxpayers money for financial aid.

Kemi Badenoch the Business and Trade Secretary said that the man be paid up to £3,000 should be “trumpeted,” and told Times Radio, “One of the big arguments about this scheme was Rwanda wasn’t a safe country, and actually people are volunteering to go there.”

A Government spokesperson said, “We are now able to send asylum seekers to Rwanda under our migration and economic development partnership.

“This deal allows people with no immigration status in the UK to be relocated to a safe third country where they will be supported to rebuild their lives.”

Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, claimed the man’s removal to Rwanda shows “the Tories are so desperate to get any flight off to Rwanda before the local elections that they have now just paid someone to go”.

Cooper added, “British taxpayers aren’t just forking out £3,000 for a volunteer to board a plane, they are also paying Rwanda to provide him with free board and lodgings for the next five years.

“This extortionate pre-election gimmick is likely to be costing on average £2 million per person.”