The National Audit Office (NAO), a UK independent public expenditure watchdog, released a report on Friday, stating that the UK government will pay at least £370 million to Rwanda as part of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP).
The Home Office will transfer £370 million to the Rwandan government via the Economic Transformation and Integration Fund (ETIF), as part of an agreement upon signing the MEDP. There are further payments anticipated under this agreement, including a fixed payment of £20,000 for every individual relocated and an additional payment of £120 million after the relocation of 300 people. Operational costs over five years could amount to up to £150,874 per individual. Once a person opts to leave Rwanda, payments will cease except for a one-time £10,000 departure facilitation fee.
The NAO report concluded that, since the beginning of February, the UK government has already paid an advance of £20 million to the Rwandan government. An additional £8 million is expected to be paid by the end of this year.
As part of the measures to observe the successful implementation of the partnership and oversee the payments, the Home Office has formed committees to review the programme. These committees will determine if the terms of the agreement are being fulfilled.
The MEDP agreement was announced in 2022, with the aim of addressing the global migration crisis. Under its terms, asylum seekers entering the UK “illegally” will be relocated to Rwanda where they have the opportunity to claim asylum. The UK government is obligated to assist Rwanda’s development by providing funding while also shouldering the costs for processing and integrating each relocated person.
This latest update comes amidst a controversial UK migration plan to halt illegal immigration, which has seen numerous legal challenges and extensive criticism from human rights organizations and the UN. Furthermore, a recent parliamentary report suggested the Home Office’s plan is incompatible with human rights and contravenes the principle of non-refoulement as outlined in Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Nevertheless, the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill is on the verge of becoming law, justifying the relocation of individuals who have illegally immigrated to the UK to Rwanda.