Cost to remove a migrant £63,000 more than keeping in UK

BBC

It could cost an estimated £63,000 more to send a migrant to a “safe country” such as Rwanda than to keep them in the UK, the government has said.

An economic impact assessment of the Illegal Migration Bill, which is going through Parliament, found a gross cost of £169,000 to relocate an individual.

But the estimated £106,000 spent on housing support if they remained in the UK would be avoided.

The government said the policy would also have a deterrent impact.

However, the Home Office assessment said it was “uncertain” what level of deterrence impact it would have because the bill was “novel and untested”.

It said no cost would be incurred if an individual was deterred from entering the UK illegally.

It also said the potential savings were “highly uncertain” but gave an estimated figure of between £106,000 and £165,000 per individual. The higher figure takes into the account the possibility of housing costs continuing to increase.

Other additional savings beyond accommodation costs include those associated with resettling a migrant in the UK such as benefits, social housing and healthcare.

The report estimates the policy would need to deter 37% of people from entering the UK illegally for there to be no cost to the taxpayer.

The bill aims to stop people crossing the Channel in small boats by preventing anyone arriving in the UK illegally from claiming asylum.

Instead they would be detained and removed, either to Rwanda or another “safe country”.

The total cost of relocating an individual to Rwanda or another third country includes a payment to that country of around £105,000 per person, as well as £22,000 for flights and escorting the individual.

The figure assumes a flight can seat 50 individuals being relocated but flights may depart with fewer people on board.

Other costs include detaining individuals while they are processed.

The costs are theoretical estimates rather than the actual cost of the Rwanda agreement, which is commercially sensitive.

Labour said the impact assessment was “a complete joke” and the government was “totally clueless” about how much the bill would cost.

“The few figures the Home Office has produced…