It will cost £169,000 per person to send illegal migrants to Rwanda, according to new analysis published by the government.
An economic assessment of the Illegal Migration Bill also estimated that each person sent abroad to the east African nation, or a similar country, will save the taxpayer between £106,000 and £165,000 per person.
If the government wants to break even on the project, it would need to deter about 37% of people from crossing the Channel, the analysis estimated.
“This cost will only be incurred for people who arrive in the UK illegally. If an individual is deterred from entering the UK illegally, then no cost would be incurred,” the assessment notes.
But things could get more expensive if the UK were to agree deportation deals with nations besides Rwanda, as the government has indicated it wants to.
Setting up fees were not included in the calculation – and it was noted the UK has paid Rwanda £140m so far and no one has made the journey there.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the assessment proves that “doing nothing is not an option”.
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She said: “We cannot allow a system to continue which incentivises people to risk their lives and pay people smugglers to come to this country illegally, while placing an unacceptable strain on the UK taxpayer.
“I urge MPs and peers to back the bill to stop the boats, so we can crack down on people-smuggling gangs while bringing our asylum system back into balance.”
The Illegal Migration Bill seeks to prevent people who enter the UK illegally from making asylum claims, and instead aims to detain them before they get deported.
It is currently being debated on by the Lords before it heads back to the Commons.
