Taxpayers could end up shelling out nearly £2million for every person the Tories send to Rwanda, bombshell figures show.
Rishi Sunak faces calls to account for the "fiasco" as a new study found the scale of fees and add-ons agreed by ministers for the asylum scheme - even though no one has been sent there.
The UK has agreed to hand over £370million over five years - a sum that will rise by a further £120million once 300 people are sent. The National Audit Office (NAO) also found the Government has committed to paying an add-on of £20,000 per asylum seeker sent to Rwanda. Meanwhile "processing and operational" costs - which include paying for food and education - could reach over £150,000 for each person over five years.
On top of that, flights will cost around £11,000 per person, the NAO found. And its report into the cost of the project found other direct costs linked to the scheme will reach £28million by April.
It will also cost £12.6million to train escorts in 2024/25, it said. It comes as Home Office figures yesterday (THUR) showed more than 128,000 people were waiting for an initial decision on their asylum application at the end of last year.
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Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This report reveals the national scandal the Tories have been trying to hide. Its shocking analysis shows the costs of the failed Rwanda farce are even higher than previously thought.
"In order to send less than 1% of UK asylum seekers to Rwanda on a few symbolic flights, the taxpayer will be forced fork out over half a billion pounds - with no ability to recover any of the money already sent. This is the equivalent of nearly £2m per person sent."
She added: "Rishi Sunak has staked his position on this scheme. He must account for this fiasco." The NAO report was requested by two Commons committees after MPs complained the cost of the asylum deal was being kept secret. Experts said they cannot judge whether it is value for money, as the Government argues savings will come because migrants will be put off coming to the UK.
Dame Diana Johnson, who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: “These are staggering figures. For all its rhetoric about ensuring value for money in the asylum and immigration system it is unclear how schemes such as Rwanda or Bibby Stockholm achieve that. Huge initial outlay and ongoing costs raise serious questions about how this can be cost effective, even compared to high hotel accommodation costs."
She said there is "little evidence" that the scheme will result in fewer people crossing the Channel in small boats. So far the UK has paid £220million, plus a £20million advance payment - with a further £50million due in April.
A Home Office spokesman said: "It is vital we respond to illegal migration with bold, long-term solutions. Our Partnership with Rwanda offers just that.
“Doing nothing is not without significant costs. Unless we act, the cost of housing asylum seekers is set to reach £11 billion per year by 2026. Illegal migration costs lives and perpetuates human trafficking, and it is therefore right that we fund solutions to break this unsustainable cycle.
“We have a strong relationship with Rwanda and both sides remain absolutely determined to deliver on this Partnership. Once the Safety of Rwanda Bill and Treaty are in place, we will focus on getting flights off the ground.”
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