Cost of housing migrants will ‘quadruple to £11billion’ within three years if crossings continue
THE ANNUAL cost of housing small boat migrants will quadruple to £11billion within three years if crossings continue, ministers have warned.
It came as the Home Office’s top mandarin admitted ministers will hand Rwanda even more cash on top of the £290million already set for the African country.
Downing Street yesterday published the government’s legal advice on the Rwanda scheme in a bid to squash a growing Tory rebellion.
It pointed to modelling showing taxpayers are on the hook for eye-watering sums well beyond the current £8million for migrant hotels if the problem is not cracked.
The paper said: “The government estimates that if illegal immigration goes unaddressed, the costs of asylum accommodation alone could increase to £32million per day by 2026 – equivalent to £11 billion per year.”
“The government therefore needs to use all the powers at its disposal to prevent and deter unlawful migration.”
Read More on Politics
Meanwhile Home Office chief Sir Matthew Rycroft said money will be handed over for further instalments with the deal is set to end in 2027.
He said: “There is a fourth year and fifth year cost which I am not at liberty to disclose but when the time comes it will be disclosed as well.”
The revelation came as he gave evidence to the Public Accounts Committee on why the costs had sky-rocketed but hadn’t been disclosed until late last week.
But Rwanda could even walk away from the migration deal with the UK and keep the money - even if it doesn’t accept any asylum seekers, MPs have been told.
The revelation came at an evidence session from the Home Office top mandarin Sir Matthew Rycroft as there is a “break clause” in the deal.
Both sides can walk away from the deal with three month’s notice which was first signed in April last year.
He said if the UK instigates the break clause, Rwanda would keep the money already paid.
But he said: “There is a presumption that the UK Government will want to continue with the partnership, bearing in mind its importance in the overall efforts to stop the boats.”
He also said there still wasn’t a “deterrent effect” by setting up the scheme as Whitehall sources insisted that was because it wasn’t up and running yet.
Sir Matthew said if Rwanda broke the terms they would repay the cash “proportionately”.
He added it would “depend on the circumstances” if they could take the cash without taking an asylum seeker.
The cost to deal with illegal migration and small boats has no upper limit, MPs have been told.
The Home Office’s most senior civil servant Sir Matthew Rycroft explained there are too many “variables”.
Read more on The Sun
Officials denied writing blank cheques on the issue - the majority being accommodation dealing with asylum - but would be decided the matter on an annual basis.
Sir Matthew added: “The payment to Rwanda that is a significant amount of money is dwarfed by the amount of money we are spending on accommodation.”