The plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has cost the government £100mn more this year, taking the total to £240mn, in a further sign of how much financial and political capital Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has invested in the controversial scheme.
The government paid £100mn this financial year through an Economic Transformation and Integration Fund (ETIF) for the economic development and growth of Rwanda, on top of £120mn paid into this fund last year, Sir Matthew Rycroft, permanent secretary to the home office, wrote in a letter to the chair of the House of Commons Home Affairs select committee.
A separate payment of £20mn was also paid last year to help support the costs of the relocation of individuals.
The government expects to pay a further £50mn to the ETIF next year, he added.