First illegal migrant paid to go to Rwanda

In what seems like a watershed moment for the government’s Rwanda plan, the first migrant has been sent to the country from the UK. Only, um, it’s not actually the primary Rwanda deportation scheme that’s supposed to stop the small boats. No, this man voluntarily relocated to the central African country after being offered up to £3,000 to do so. Alright for some…

In a rather confusing series of events, separate to the Rwanda Act there is also a voluntary deportation plan on the go. Migrants who are unable to stay in the UK legally are rather more politely rounded up and asked if they would please move elsewhere, incentivised by the promise of financial aid. The twist is that earlier this year, the list of possible destinations for migrants under this plan was widened to include Rwanda too.

Government sources confirm that this is not part of the main Rwanda scheme, which was passed through parliament last week but is yet to have actually made any dent in the UK’s immigration problem.