The government has spent a further £100m in the 2023-24 financial year while legal challenges have prevented any deportation flights from taking off. This is on top of the £140m previously paid out.
The Home Office has said that it expects to spend a further £50m in the coming year, bringing the total cost to £290m.
Labour has called the revelation “incredible” and said that it shows that the scheme is a “total farce”. The party has also called for an independent inquiry into the costs of the policy.
The government hopes to rush emergency legislation through parliament that would allow it to declare that Rwanda is a safe destination for asylum seekers. This would be a major victory for the government, as it would make it much more difficult for courts to block deportation flights.
The bill is due to be debated and voted on by MPs on Tuesday. However, it is unclear whether the government will be able to get the bill through parliament without making it a confidence vote. If it does, this would mean that MPs who vote against the bill would have the whip withdrawn, which would effectively expel them from the Conservative Party.
The government has insisted that the Rwanda policy is necessary to deter people from crossing the Channel illegally. However, it has faced widespread criticism from human rights groups and has been blocked by the courts a number of times.
The latest revelation about the cost of the policy is likely to add to the pressure on the government.
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