The plane takes off from Ascension Island, which has been discussed as a place to send migrants. Officials told ministers that this was «not a start.»
Apparently, senior officials who helped draft the first offshore asylum agreement with Rwanda warned that the transfer of asylum seekers to a remote South Atlantic island would be impractical due to the cost of building new facilities for migrants and staffing them.
Jacob Rees-Mogg revealed that when he was minister he was told that each migrant sent to the island would cost £1 million, with a population of just 900, no general hospital and more than 4,000 miles from the UK.
The disclosure comes after it emerged that ministers were considering resurrecting plans to bring people illegally entering the UK to Ascension Island as part of a 'plan B' contingency plan should the government's deportation plan fail from Rwanda.
< p>They are also said to be in talks with five other countries — all presumably in Africa — to take in those arriving in small boats or in the back of trucks in schemes similar to the Rwanda deal, where migrants would be deported. and seek refuge there.
Migrants are expected to take places on the Bibby Stockholm barge. Photo: James Manning/PA
The 34-square-mile Ascension Island, which is about 1,000 miles from Africa, was considered as an option for offshore processing of asylum seekers under Boris Johnson, but was rejected after it was declared unviable by the Foreign Office. He cited the lack of infrastructure, inadequate electricity and water supply.
“This is not possible just because of the logistics,” said one of the former officials. “It's so far away and when you get there, there's nothing there. You will have to build all new objects. It would be very, very expensive. And even then, the number of asylum seekers will be very small.
“Then you would have to find personnel to run it, who would have to be sent there, which would cost a fortune. We'll have to build a reception. The logistics of doing this in a remote location is quite difficult. The Ascension Islanders were also against it.
The potential revival of the plan also caused a backlash among the islanders and their supporters. Jim Butterworth, a former transmitter engineer for the island radio service, said it would be «crazy» if the government moved forward.
“The current spending of £1.6 billion a year on immigrants would be peanuts compared to the actual costs of getting buildings, food, medicine, transport and so on before Ascension. It won't happen,» he told the 8,000 members of the Ascension Island Facebook group.
0808 Ascension Island
Another commented: «Therefore, the island will not be open anytime soon to tourists or visitors who will bring in money and improve the local economy, but obviously they will bring in migrants instead.»
The Home Secretary is said to Suella Braverman and her ministers have sought advice on this proposal, but it is clear that this is not the case. actively developing.
This follows her comments over the weekend that «all options are being considered» if the government fails to implement plans to deport migrants to Rwanda for asylum.
Ministers remain confident they will win this fall The Supreme Court ruled on the legality of the scheme after the Court of Appeal declared it illegal due to shortcomings in Rwanda's asylum system.
Migrants enter the water at Gravelines Beach before heading to cross the English Channel. Photo: Jamie Lorriman.
However, they are said to be considering contingency options. Asked why the Ascension Island plan is being revised, Home Secretary Sarah Dines told Sky News: “Well, times are changing. We are considering all possibilities.
“This crisis in the English Channel is urgent, we need to consider all possibilities, and this is what we are doing. We are determined to ensure that illegal migrants are not attracted to this country, mainly to be abused by organized crime groups. These are international operations and should be stopped.”
She said any «responsible» government would consider «additional comprehensive» measures, though she said the government was «confident» in winning the Supreme Council. Court.
As a British territory, Ascension Island will only be a place of detention for migrants, where an application for asylum will be processed, not a one-way ticket.
If their asylum applications are granted, they can be returned to the UK. It is not clear what will happen to migrants if their applications are denied.
What do we know about the Ascension Island plan
Rwanda's plan instead assumes that those who go to Kigali receive an application to reside in the East African country, and not Britain. It is central to the government's Illegal Migration Bill, which gives ministers the power to detain anyone who arrives illegally and deport them to a third country like Rwanda or their home country.
Under the government of Boris Johnson The foreign ministry has engaged in preliminary talks with six countries, including Rwanda, about a potential migrant resettlement scheme.
Ghana, Nigeria, Namibia, Morocco and Niger, which are currently undergoing a military coup, were also thought to have been involved.
An Ascension Island government spokesman said: “UK immigration policy is an issue for the UK government. The Ascension Island government will not be embroiled in speculation.»
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