Should the UK government reconsider the Rwanda Scheme?
The UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership signed in 2022 sought to deter small boat crossings by relocating irregular arrivals to Rwanda for asylum processing. The incoming Labour government scrapped it in 2024, formally ended the treaty in March 2026 and prevailed in a June 2026 arbitration case avoiding further payments after spending around £290 million with only four voluntary relocations. Small boat arrivals fell sharply in 2026 to seven-year lows following new enforcement measures, returns agreements and European cooperation.
2 Opinions
It's just another money laundering scam. It's simple - detain, deport. If they won't tell you their country of origin then deport them 100 miles north of the Shetland Islands in the dinghy they came in. That will deter them.
No, costly and almost as pointless as one out one in. Our issues should be solved by us. The boats need to be stopped physically, criminals arrested if land on our shore and deported swiftly. If any international agreements needs to be broken to achieve it - let it be, otherwise it will end when we become similar to countries they are trying to migrate.