Rishi Sunak's government is said to be considering flying migrants to a remote volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean as a ‘plan B’ if the Rwanda scheme fails.
Located about 4,000 miles from the UK, Ascension Island is reportedly among the territories being re-evaluated as a place to process asylum seekers who arrive in the UK via unauthorised means.
Considered one of the remotest inhabited locations on Earth, its closest landfall is Brazil, which is around 1,400 miles away. It is situated 807 miles northwest of St Helena and is just under 34 square miles in size, with only basic amenities available for islanders.
Since being discovered in 1501, it has hosted few inhabitants and is currently home to around 800 people. With no permanent or Indigenous population on the island, its occupants consist of employees and their families, who work at the British and US air bases.
While Ascension Island has its own Constitution and is self-governing, it is a British Overseas Territory with the UK responsible for defence, international relations and security on the island.
The volcanic island is around 4,000 miles away from the UK— (PA Wire)
It was first garrisoned by the British in 1815, to ensure Napoleon Bonaparte was not rescued from his island prison in St Helena.
During the Second World War, it was used as a base for the US and became a crucial RAF refuelling point during the Falklands War.
It remains an important military and support base, with the Daily Mail reporting that the runway was extended and improved just last year, at a cost of £250 million.
While Charles Darwin initially described the volcanic island as “hideous” in 1836, it has since been modernised with artificial planting and the construction of the ‘capital’ town of Georgetown. Home to 450 people, it comprises a government house, a post office, a handful of shops and even a cinema and a gym.
Ascension Island lies in the South Atlantic (Martin Cleaver/PA)— (PA Archive)
A second settlement, Two Boats, is also home to a number of inhabitants. There is however only one dentist and a small medical centre, with serious casualties having to be evacuated to St Helena.
It is also renowned for its string of golden beaches, which play host to one of the world’s largest populations of green turtles. With temperatures ranging from 20C to 38C, an array of native wildlife including seabirds and crustaceans appear along its low coastal areas.
The island was previously considered a location to process asylum seekers, with ministers believing its remote location would create a strong deterrent for migrants hoping to cross the Channel.
They were previously dropped after a feasibility study carried out by the Foreign Office declared Ascension Island unsuitable for various reasons, including inadequate power and water supplies and a lack of a hospital.
Proposals have been resurrected as the Rwanda policy has been mired in legal challenges ever since it was first announced in April 2022.
The first 50 migrants are expected to arrive at the Bibby Stockholm barge today (James Manning/PA)— (PA Wire)
In June, it was ruled unlawful by the Court of Appeal due to deficiencies in the Rwandan asylum system, who concluded the African nation was not a “safe third country”.
Ministers however are confident that the Supreme Court will overrule the decision in hearings this autumn, which would allow deportation flights to begin as early as January.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman told The Mail on Sunday that “all options were on the table” should the Supreme Court rule against the government.
This comes as the first migrants are due to arrive on the Bibby Stockholm Barge, which has been docked at Portland Port in Dorset. Up to 500 men aged 18-65 will be housed on the vessel despite local opposition and health and safety concerns.
