The Lords have pulled apart the cruel and Orwellian Rwanda bill – yet still, the Tories press on

‘The idea that Rwanda will achieve any serious deterrent effect is unfounded. Instead, there will be more deaths in the Channel.’ Migrants cross the Channel on a small boat, 6 March 2024. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPA

Not surprisingly, in his budget the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, made no mention of the fact that the government’s flagship plan to send refugees to Rwanda will cost taxpayers overall more than £500m. As the National Audit Office has revealed: for each of the first 300 people that will be flown to Kigali, it will cost a staggering £1.8m.

It is hard to believe that it was almost two years ago, in a speech in the Rwandan capital, that Priti Patel, the then home secretary, presented the UK/Rwanda deal to the world as a “groundbreaking agreement”.