The Government bribing an asylum seeker to go to Rwanda isn’t the win they seem to think – 14 scathing responses
The saga of the Rwanda Scheme will one day be a fantastic Channel 4 docudrama, with the part of Rishi Sunak being played by Olivia Colman, and Martin Freeman acting his little heart out as a plucky pilot. Probably. We’d absolutely watch the hell out of that.
The Rwanda Bill has only recently dragged itself through Parliament, bouncing back and forth between the Houses before becoming an embarrassing and expensive ‘win’ for the Government.
23rd April 2024 and our government passes a bill that means if St George arrived in the country of which he is Patron Saint he’d probably be deported. #StGeorgesDay #RwandaBill pic.twitter.com/l28JGyrYYp
— Pickwick the Dodo (@LesleyHustler1) April 23, 2024
Having made a £1,000 bet with Piers Morgan that a planeload of Rwanda deportees will leave before the general election, Sunak is pulling out all the stops.
Sunak appoints the first of his 150 Rwanda deportation judges. pic.twitter.com/Twr7xnMp4c
— Colin the Dachshund (@DachshundColin) April 23, 2024
Unsurprisingly, with the Home Office having trumpeted that they were about to round up asylum seekers weeks ahead of any flights taking off, a number of the eligible individuals have gone missing.
The Times: Over half of migrants set for Rwanda are missing #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/j7WICVSPHk
— George Mann (@sgfmann) April 29, 2024
They may have gone into hiding, but we can’t rule out the simple incompetence of those trying to find them.
If you listened to Tory MPs on the media rounds, you could be forgiven for thinking that Sunak’s bet had paid off, but no …
The UK has sent the first failed asylum seeker to Rwanda – under a voluntary scheme.
Deputy political editor @SamCoatesSky says that the individual was paid 'in the region of £3,000 to relocate to Kigali'. https://t.co/8iiq1qY12l
Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/oeRrmdcllg
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 30, 2024
It’s not the same scheme that was given the green light in Parliament last week, but one that gives failed asylum seekers an option.
The Tories and RW press are conspiring to paint yesterday's deportation to Rwanda as a huge success that shows the Rwanda policy is working.
Here's the rub: there are 2 Rwanda schemes! I've labelled them "Uncontroversial" and "Evil".
Chalk and cheese are twins compared to them. pic.twitter.com/7zQaam9iTF
— Edwin Hayward (@edwinhayward) May 1, 2024
People were quick to share the correct version of the news.
1.
A more accurate headline would be: 'In a cynical pre-election move, the desperate government pay someone £3,000 to go to Rwanda voluntarily after rejecting his asylum claim'. pic.twitter.com/niKFs095dX
— Parody Rishi Sunak (@Parody_PM) May 1, 2024
2.
"We paid a volunteer £3,000 to resettle in Rwanda" is not the big success story you think it is guys. pic.twitter.com/bJjsZ8m1gW
— Otto English (@Otto_English) April 30, 2024
3.
‘The water is safe – we paid a swimmer $3,000 to go for a swim’ pic.twitter.com/DMgIHEUXaL
— Toby Earle Threads tobyontv (@TobyonTV) May 1, 2024
4.
Er… Rwanda can’t be that much of a deterrent if you can pay someone £3K to go there voluntarily
— John Crace (@JohnJCrace) April 30, 2024
5.
Tories so desperate to get any flight to Rwanda before elections that they just paid one person to volunteer.
An extortionate pre-election gimmick costing UK taxpayers half a billion pounds. Should be putting that money into boosting our border security
— Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP) April 30, 2024
6.
But on the other hand Rishi Sunak has taken three weeks to find one person willing to accept £3,000 for a flight to Kigali https://t.co/JFVCTxQXNv
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) April 30, 2024
7.
I’d probably go to Rwanda if you gave me three grand tbh
— christhebarker (@christhebarker) April 30, 2024
8.
They’ve lost 3,500 asylum seekers.
But they did manage to find one – who was willing to go to Rwanda – and they agreed to pay him £3000 to be flown there, so they could fleetingly pretend their hideous little plan was underway.
Jeezus. The shabby desperation. pic.twitter.com/TMWCcAEkQl
— sarah murphy (@13sarahmurphy) April 30, 2024
9.
Here’s Fishy Rishi misleading you again
This has nowt to do with the Rwanda planIt’s a separate VOLUNTARY scheme where a FAILED asylum seeker gets PAID to go there
Meanwhile, 6 Rwandans have been given asylum HERE because it’s not safe for them there
Don’t fall for the BS pic.twitter.com/Y9OmkGNvjy
— nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) April 30, 2024