Rishi Sunak was unsure the Government’s scheme to send migrants to Rwanda would stop channel crossings when he was Chancellor, according to documents.
The BBC said it had seen No 10 papers from March 2022, a month before the plan was announced by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson, which showed that Mr Sunak was not convinced of the plan’s effectiveness.
Mr Sunak, who became Prime Minister in October 2022, has made the Rwanda plan one of his top priorities despite a string of delays due to legal challenges.
The documents suggest Mr Sunak felt “hotels are cheaper” than reception centres to house migrants and that he was also concerned about the cost of sending asylum seekers to Africa and wanted to limit the numbers.
The BBC said the documents revealed the “chancellor wants to pursue smaller volumes initially” with 500 flown to Rwanda in the first year of the scheme, instead of the proposed 1,500.
They say he then proposed “3,000 instead of 5,000 in years two and three”.
He is described as believing the “deterrent won’t work”.
The documents, which say No 10 suggested Mr Sunak needed to “consider his popularity with the base” over the Rwanda plan, said the then Chancellor was reluctant to fund “Greek-style reception centres” at a cost of £3.5 million a day to house migrants in favour of hotels.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
