Refugees already offered Rwanda cash

Home Office staff started phoning refused asylum seekers offering them £3,000 to fly to Rwanda before the scheme was publicly announced, i can reveal.

Lawyers have described receiving “panicked” calls from clients who had been contacted by the Home Office “out of the blue” and did not understand that the scheme was voluntary.

They were left “baffled” because the policy was not made public until an official statement was released on Tuesday night, the lawyers said, with calls being made in English and without interpreters, and going directly to migrants rather than legal representatives.

Tom Nunn, the legal director of the South Yorkshire Refugee Law and Justice charity, said: “We know the Home Office have been contacting people since Tuesday afternoon before this policy was announced and telling people they have three options – one of which is removal to Rwanda. That seems to be the approach – just to call people out of the blue and offer them £3,000 to go.”

In all cases so far disclosed to the i, migrants have refused the voluntary scheme. The Home Office will not provide figures on how many people have said they are interested.

Mr Nunn said he was concerned about those with mental health issues being caused distress by the phone calls.

People who choose to leave for Rwanda will be eligible for both the five-year financial and integration support planned for those forcibly deported, and a £3,000 payment available under pre-existing voluntary return schemes.

Nazek Ramadan, director of the Migrant Voice charity, said: “This latest policy appears to be a cynical move on the part of this Government to achieve its aim of getting a picture of one flight taking off to Rwanda before an election.”