UK’s scrapped Rwanda migrant plan a ‘shocking waste’ of $904 million in public funds, minister says

Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The U.K.’s new home secretary says a scrapped plan by former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to send some migrants on a one-way trip to Rwanda was the “most shocking waste of taxpayer money I have ever seen.” Yvette Cooper says the plan had cost 700 million pounds ($904 million) in public funds. She added that the former government had planned to spend 10 billion pounds on the plan in coming years. Sunak had made “stopping the boats” a key policy as his Conservative government struggled to stem the flow of asylum-seekers across the English Channel from France. But his plans were stalled by legal challenges and were widely criticized by human rights groups. Rwanda’s government has said it’s not obligated to refund the money.