The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill is back in the House of Commons tonight for consideration on the Lord's Message. On Monday I led a Public Accounts Committee inquiry and asked senior officials from the Home Office about the Rwanda partnership and the National Audits Office investigation into asylum accommodation.

I raised the BBC’s report that £4.3 billion of our foreign aid budget is being spent on refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, when it should be used for important work in developing countries, and if this was sustainable. I also questioned the purchasing of sites for asylum accommodation:

The PAC inquiry follows the NAO's report into the expenses of the UK-Rwanda Partnership, outlining the costs accumulated thus far and the Home Office's projection of potential costs once the partnership is active. However, the report refrains from making a definitive assessment on the partnership's value for money, as this hinges on its effectiveness in deterring individuals from undertaking unlawful journeys to seek asylum in the UK.

Based on the NAO’s reports into asylum accommodation and the partnership with Rwanda, the Committee also took evidence from senior officials from the Home Office on subjects including:

• the costs incurred to date from the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda and the basis on which future costs would be incurred when the partnership is operational;
• the Home Office’s oversight and approach to monitoring the partnership;
• the Home Office’s current and future plans for accommodating and detaining people who arrive in the UK to seek asylum;
• the costs of different asylum accommodations and how the Home Office oversees such projects.

Full transcript -

https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/14612/pdf/

 NAO Report –

https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/investigation-into-the-costs-of-the-uk-rwanda-partnership/