'It's ridiculous!': Tom Swarbrick reacts to £169,000 estimated cost of deporting migrants from Home Office data
27 June 2023, 21:18
Tom Swarbrick reacts to data from Home Office which revealed true cost of deporting migrants
After reports show that Suella Braverman's Rwanda policy would cost £169,000 per person, Tom Swarbrick argues the government need to 'look elsewhere' to resolve the migrant crisis.
On Thursday, the Court of Appeal is set to rule on whether it is legal to deport people seeking asylum, including women and children, to Rwanda.
Tom Swarbrick reacted to the latest data revealed by the Home Office: "As you know, one of its promises is to stop the boats. So far, the numbers this year are 16% below what they were this time last year. But they are by no means stopped. The papers today are full of the government's own assessment of the plan.
"It says it has to stop the boats. The reality is the government has absolutely no idea how much this plan will cost the taxpayer, their best guess is a staggering £169,000 per person."
READ MORE: Senior Tory slams Braverman's Rwanda scheme after report claiming it will cost £169k per migrant
Tom went on to say: "You tell the country this is one of your top priorities, a flagship policy that your home secretary dreams of being able to enact. But despite telling people you're going to do this, you have no idea of whether it is legal and no idea of what it will cost.
"The disconnect between the seriousness with which they tell you they are taking the issues of small boats and the seriousness of the actual plan they have to deliver it is staggering.
"I maintain this Rwanda policy will end up living solely in the mind of Suella Braverman, because surely there is no way that even the most hardened Rwanda plan supporter would stomach spending £169,000 per person."
Tom concluded: "Forget the ethics of it, forget the practicality. Forget even the legality. Just on the cash, would you say the government needs to look elsewhere to get this resolved? Because £169,000 per person is ridiculous."
