The United Kingdom's new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has confirmed that his government has abandoned plans by his Conservative predecessors to send illegal migrants to Rwanda. During his first press conference in Downing Street, Starmer said the project was doomed to failure.
"The Rwanda scheme was dead and buried before it started. It’s never been a deterrent [to the flow of illegals crossing the Channel]," Starmer said. "I’m not prepared to continue with gimmicks that don’t act as a deterrent."
The agreement previously signed between the British and Rwandan governments includes an option for both countries to withdraw unilaterally.
The plan, which involves sending illegal immigrants arriving in Britain to the African country, was presented two years ago by Boris Johnson's government, but his successors failed to implement the project due to opposition from human rights activists and the European Court of Human Rights.
Meanwhile, the Rwandan authorities have already received $275 million from London.