Britain’s asylum bill hit £2billion since the year the Rwanda deal was struck

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Migrants in a dingy crossing the Dover straits shipping channel on route towards Dover. 4 August 2022 Jack Hill Chief news photographer/The Times, The Sunday Times.

BRITAIN’S asylum bill has hit £2billion in the year since the Rwanda deal was struck.

Most of the cash — equivalent to about £6million a day — has gone on hotels to house migrants.

Britain’s asylum bill has hit £2billion in the year since the Rwanda deal was struck

Meanwhile, the much-vaunted scheme to pack off those who come here illegally to the East African country has been stalled by legal challenges.

The spending was revealed as PM Rishi Sunak said tackling illegal Channel migrants was complicated and there was “no single, simple solution”.

A year ago today then Home Secretary Priti Patel signed a deal with Rwandan officials to process asylum-seekers.

Britain also paid £120million for five years’ work to ensure accommodation facilities were ready.

Since then hotel costs for asylum-seekers having to be housed in Britain are estimated to be £1.86billion.

A further £300,000 was spent on official visits to the capital Kigali by Ms Patel and her successor Suella Braverman.

Meanwhile, a Rwanda flight for seven migrants, halted at the 11th hour last year after a legal challenge, is understood to have cost £500,000.

Official figures reveal close to 45,000 migrants have crossed from France since the Rwanda pact was signed.

Mr Sunak has vowed to stop the small boats but told the ConservativeHome website: “It won’t happen overnight.”