Labour has been branded a party of cowards and hypocrites for opposing plans to send illegal migrants to Rwanda.
Home Secretary James Cleverly accused them of cynically fighting the flagship policy because they are afraid it will work.
In a blistering attack, he said Sir Keir Starmer’s party would rather “carp from the sidelines” than take bold action to tackle the small boats crisis.
And he warned that Labour’s “do nothing” approach could send the cost of asylum hotels and support rocketing to £11billion if they win power.
Mr Cleverly lashed out as the Rwanda Bill – which Labour has voted against 10 times – reaches its final stages in Parliament this week.
Writing exclusively for the Sunday Express, he accused the opposition of hypocrisy, cynicism, ambiguity and cowardice.
He declared: “In not tackling the boats, Labour would not just take us back to square one, they would just keep moving backwards, absorbing more costs. The real reason is deep down they believe in open borders.
“But that is not what the British people want.”
The Home Secretary added: “They would scrap our deterrent, even if it works, and have no alternative of their own.”
The Government wants the first flights carrying migrants to the African state for processing to take off this spring and is battling to get the Bill on the statute book by the end of this month.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under intense pressure to stop the wave of small boats illegally crossing the Channel after years of Tory efforts being thwarted. More than 3,000 migrants have arrived by boat this year, the highest for this period in six years.
The Rwanda Bill is the centrepiece of the Government’s efforts to rescue the controversial scheme. The inaugural flight was grounded in June 2022 when the European Court of Human Rights intervened – and the scheme suffered another setback in November last year when the Supreme Court ruled it was unlawful.
The Bill is designed to compel judges to regard Rwanda as a safe country but the changes made in the Lords would open the door to more legal challenges. These give domestic courts the power to intervene and would block the removal of victims of human trafficking and modern slavery and people who have worked with the UK Government or military overseas.
The legislation suffered 10 defeats in the Lords and will receive its third reading there on Tuesday. It will then return to the Commons where the Conservatives will attempt to overturn a raft of changes.
Describing the mounting costs to the taxpayer, Mr Cleverly said: “The asylum system costs £6billion a year, with a daily hotel bill for the British taxpayer of over £8million.”
Confident that the scheme will stop migrants making the crossing, he said: “The deterrent within the Rwanda partnership is simple: If you come to the UK illegally, you will not get to stay.
“If you have no right to be in the UK, we will remove you either to your own country or another safe country. In this case, Rwanda.
“We know deterrence works. It worked with our returns agreement with Albania.
“It’s not the number you send that is key, but the message it sends to the many more that stops them coming in the first place. That way we will stop the boats.
“Nobody but this Government has a credible plan to do that.”
However, Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: “It’s time for MPs and peers to abandon this legislation once and for all. The Rwanda plan is wrong in principle and unworkable in practice.
“Our research shows clearly that it will not deter people from crossing the Channel in small boats, and will in fact drive them to take ever more dangerous journeys. We know people who have fled war and oppression in
countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria and Iran are already avoiding contact with vital services, in fear of being sent to Rwanda, and consequently face being exploited and abused by those seeking to coerce and traffic them.
“Instead of wasting taxpayers’ money, the Government must admit that it is an inhumane plan that will never work. What we need is a fair and compassionate approach to refugee protection that focuses on providing safe routes and a fair hearing for those seeking safety in the UK.”
But a Government source said: “We are determined to get flights in the air by spring so we can have in place a meaningful deterrent, break the business model of the smuggling gangs and stop the boats.”
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper insisted Labour had a workable plan, saying: “The idea anyone will take the Tories seriously on this is a joke. They are spending half a billion of taxpayers money on a failing Rwanda scheme which the Home Secretary himself has said is “bat****” and will only cover one per cent of people arriving.
“What about the other 99 per cent? Labour has a plan instead to boost our border security, smashing the criminal smuggler gangs with new powers, a new cross-border police force, and a new returns unit to fast-track cases and end hotel use. Instead of all the Tory gimmicks we need to get a proper grip.”
The National Audit Office reported last month that the Home Office will pay Rwanda £370million under the terms of its partnership. It will pay a further £20,000 for every individual who is sent there – and £120million once 300 people are relocated.
Britain will also pay up to £150,874 per person for processing and operational costs.
