UK Spent £715 Million on Scrapped Rwanda Deportation Scheme

The controversial plan, intended to deter Channel crossings, failed to deport a single person and was abandoned after two years.

The UK government spent £715 million on the Rwanda deportation scheme between 2022 and mid-2024, according to a detailed cost breakdown.
Key expenses included £290 million paid to Rwanda, £50 million on unused flights, and £95 million on detention and reception centers.
An additional £280 million was allocated to IT systems, legal fees, and staffing, with no measurable impact on reducing Channel crossings.
Despite the investment, only four individuals volunteered for relocation to Rwanda, while over 84,000 people crossed the Channel during the same period.
The Labour government, which scrapped the scheme earlier this year, has redirected resources toward a new border security command.