The UK has sent the first rejected asylum seeker to Rwanda, under a voluntary scheme.
The scheme is for those who have gone through the asylum process and been refused permission, rather than for migrants who have entered Britain illegally by crossing the English Channel in small boats.
The migrant was sent on a commercial flight and given a fee by the British taxpayer to help him relocate under the terms of an agreement with Rwanda.
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According Sun, the man of African origin applied for asylum in the United Kingdom but was rejected at the end of last year. He then accepted the offer to go to Rwanda.
He left the UK on Monday.
This was not done using the powers set out in the Rwanda Security Law, but more of a parallel scheme which allows someone to choose to make the journey if their attempts to claim asylum in the UK fail.
And upon arriving in Kigali, the person can claim around £3,000 of UK taxpayers’ money in aid.
The event was criticized by both the Labor Party and the director of Reform UK, Nigel Farage.
Yvette Cooper, Labour’s shadow home secretary, said: “The Conservatives are so desperate to get a flight to Rwanda before the local elections that they have just paid someone to go.
“British taxpayers are not only shelling out £3,000 for a volunteer to board a plane, they are also paying Rwanda to provide him with free food and accommodation for the next five years. This exorbitant pre-election stunt is likely cost an average of £2 million per person.
“Former Conservative Home Office ministers warned that the government’s plan was simply to carry out symbolic flights before the general election. Now we know what they mean.”
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Former UKIP leader Mr Farage said: “Don’t be swayed by this new spin from the Government on the Rwanda deal.
“This African man, who did not even cross the English Channel, was refused asylum and voluntarily accepted £3,000 and free accommodation.
“It won’t stop the boats.”
The government’s attempts to forcibly remove people to Rwanda were announced more than two years ago, but so far no one has been sent.
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Earlier this month, parliament passed the Rwanda Security Law and the government expects flights to take off in nine to 11 weeks.
A government spokesperson said: “We can now send asylum seekers to Rwanda under our migration and economic development partnership.
“This deal allows people without immigration status in the UK to be relocated to a safe third country where they will be supported to rebuild.”