Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called for Britain to revive its plan to relocate some asylum seekers to Rwanda, arguing that abandoning the policy weakened the country’s response to small-boat crossings.
Writing in the Daily Mail on Saturday, Johnson described the Rwanda scheme as the only policy capable of deterring migrants from paying smugglers to cross the English Channel in dangerous vessels. He said the prospect of being transferred thousands of kilometres from Britain would have discouraged people from making the journey.
Under the proposed agreement, people who entered Britain through unauthorised routes could have been sent to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would have been assessed. Those granted protection would have remained in Rwanda rather than settling in Britain.
The plan was introduced under the previous Conservative government, which secured Rwanda’s cooperation, inspected accommodation prepared for relocated migrants and passed legislation intended to enable the scheme.
However, Britain’s Supreme Court ruled the original policy unlawful in 2023, citing concerns that asylum seekers could be sent from Rwanda to countries where they might face persecution. The Conservative government later negotiated a treaty with Rwanda and passed the Safety of Rwanda Act in April 2024.
No relocation flight took place before Labour won the 2024 general election. The Home Office subsequently discontinued the policy.
Johnson said cancelling the scheme had left Britain without an effective deterrent against unauthorised migration. He rejected proposals to use the Royal Navy to block or turn back migrant boats, warning that intervening with overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels could endanger those on board.
He also argued that Britain could not return migrants to France without the French government’s consent. He criticised the existing arrangement under which the two countries exchange a limited number of migrants, calling it costly and ineffective.
Johnson further called for a general election before Christmas, saying the Labour government lacked the political will to introduce stronger border controls. He also criticised its economic policies, linking higher welfare spending to increased borrowing and taxation and claiming that Labour lawmakers were reluctant to cut spending because of the potential electoral consequences.
Official figures showed that 39,271 people arrived in Britain by small boat in the year ending March 2026, a three per cent increase from the previous 12 months. Small boats accounted for 90 per cent of the 43,806 detected arrivals through illegal entry routes.
The government has defended its approach, saying cooperation with France had prevented more than 48,000 attempted crossings and led to the seizure of 1,100 boats and engines since Labour came to power.
The Home Office also said more than 80,000 people without permission to remain in Britain had been removed or returned. It said additional officers and surveillance equipment were being deployed in France to disrupt smuggling networks before boats reached the Channel.
The Rwanda plan remains discontinued. The government is instead relying on cooperation with France, action against smuggling networks and the removal of people without permission to remain in Britain, while Johnson continues to argue that only the Rwanda scheme could provide a sufficient deterrent.
Elie GATETE
RADIOTV10