Politics

Govt still can’t find an airline to operate Rwanda flights – with MoD even refusing to get involved

The government’s controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has hit another glitch – after it was revealed that there are no airlines willing to take them.

Rishi Sunak is hoping to get planes off the ground within weeks as he uses all his might to get the bill through parliament.

Number 10 declared a ‘migration emergency’ after a record day for crossings in 2024 this week.

More than 4,000 people are thought to have crossed the English Channel so far this year, according to Home Office figures, with 514 people making the journey in 10 boats on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Government’s Rwanda Bill remains stuck in parliamentary limbo, with MPs not scheduled to debate it again until after Westminster returns from its Easter break.

But even if it manages to clear legislative hurdles, he may find that there are no airlines willing to participate in the scheme owing to the reputational damage it may cause.

Even the Ministry of Defence seems unwilling to get involved, just to underline how toxic these plans really are.

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Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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