Yvette Cooper has said an audit will be carried out into the costs of the Rwanda project - but insiders believe there is no way of clawing back millions handed over to Rwanda
The UK is unlikely to get back any of the millions of pounds wasted on the Rwanda asylum plan, The Mirror understands.
New Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has launched an audit into the eye-watering cost of the controversial scheme. But an agreement between the ousted Tory Government and the African nation is not believed to contain any way of getting a refund.
Since 2022 the Conservatives have handed over £290million to the government in Kigali. This is despite no forced flights taking off, with just four volunteers - who accepted payments - agreeing to go to Rwanda.
The audit is expected to be complete by the end of month. But Labour insiders don’t think there’s any way of getting any of the money back.
One of Keir Starmer’s first moves after becoming Prime Minister was to scrap the deal with Rwanda. Ms Cooper dismissed the agreement - which would have seen asylum seekers sent to Rwanda - as a "con".
She told LBC: “We are auditing the whole scheme… It has clearly been a complete con." It is expected that the audit will be complete by summer recess, which is expected to start at the end of July.
Ms Cooper said: "The scheme has spent hundreds of millions and sent just four volunteers. we are now auditing the whole programme and will set out more steps to parliament in due course."
The UK had agreed to hand over £370million over five years - a sum that was set to rise by a further £120million once 300 people were sent. The agreement was first unveiled by former Home Secretary Priti Patel - who is among the Tory leadership favourites - in April 2022.
The National Audit Office (NAO) found in March that the Tory government had 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 - would have reached over £150,000 for each person over five years. The deportation project was set to be bogged down in more legal wrangling after a Belfast Court ruled it couldn’t be applied in Northern Ireland.
After scrapping the deal with President Paul Kagame’s government, Labour has vowed to spend the cash targeting people smuggling gangs by setting up a Border Security Command.
The PM’s official spokesman said: "Clearly the Government has set out its very clear position that as the Prime Minister said over the weekend, the Rwanda scheme is dead and buried... The scheme was cancelled and flights won’t go ahead.
"The Government is now focused on the work needed to secure our borders and smash the gangs in addition to recruiting for the Border Security Command."
Ms Cooper has commissioned an investigation by the Home Office and the National Crime Agency into the tactics used by people smuggling gangs. This will "inform a major law enforcement drive over the coming months", Mr Starmer’s spokesman said.
The Mirror has contacted the Rwandan government for comment.
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