Under the new Safety of Rwanda Bill, immigrants who attempt to enter the UK over the next 5 years will have their applications processed in Rwanda and will be sent there via government charter flights, per USA Today. They will be allowed back into the UK if their applications are accepted.
The British government has thus far paid Rwanda around $300 million for the deal and is expected to shell out over $670 million over the course of the plan. The total cost to the UK taxpayer has been calculated at $2.5 million per immigrant and includes travel and accommodations for each immigrant deported as well as concessions to Rwanda's government.
The plan was first proposed by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022, spurred by the arrival of around 300 small vessels carrying approximately 46,000 immigrants across the English Channel from France to the UK beginning from 2018.
After Johnson's departure, Sunak continued the bid to combat the surge in immigration and "stop the boats."
He hoped that this plan would deter illegal immigrants seeking entry into the UK by sea, a journey that can often be rough and deadly.
"The passing of this landmark legislation is not just a step forward, but a fundamental change in the global equation on migration," Sunak stated after the bill passed.
