Former Prime Minister Theresa May slammed Priti Patel over her plan to send refugees to Rwanda, saying it could be illegal and lead to an increase in the trafficking of women and girls.
The top Tory launched an extraordinary attack on the Home Secretary over the highly controversial deal, which will see anyone the UK deems “inadmissible” to claim asylum forcibly removed to Rwanda on a one-way charter flight.
Ms May, who as Home Secretary presided over the Windrush scandal and pioneered the 'hostile environment' approach, said she rejected the policy "on the grounds of legality, practicality and efficacy”.
She also pushed the minister on claims the plan would apply mainly to young men, therefore running the risk of splitting families and further exposing women and girls to traffickers.
Ms May said: "I understand that those who will be removed will only be young men, that families will not be… well, the Home Secretary is shaking her head so I’ve obviously misunderstood the policy in that sense.
“But if it is the case that families will not be broken up, and the Home Secretary is nodding, does she not believe and where is her evidence that this will not simply lead to an increase in the trafficking of women and children?”
Ms Patel replied she was "happy to meet" with the former PM but did not want to allow people smugglers to exploit "various loopholes in our existing laws".
The Home Secretary also rejected reports that top Home Office civil servant Matthew Rycroft criticised the plans, before apparently admitting the fact.
She said “the permanent secretary did not oppose this agreement, nor assert that it is poor value for money”, before adding that his memo to the Treasury said that the blueprint showed the plan would waste public money
"Rather he stated in his role as accounting officer that the policy is regular, proper and feasible, but there is not currently sufficient evidence to demonstrate value for money," she said.
She went on to say "it is the job of ministers to take decisions, and it’s the job of ministers more often than not to take tough decisions".
Meanwhile, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called the plan “unworkable, unethical and extortionate in the cost for the British taxpayer”.
She said: “We have seen over the last week this unworkable, shameful and desperate attempt to distract from the Prime Minister’s law breaking that the Home Secretary should not go along with because she is undermining not just respect for the rule of law, but also her office by providing cover for him.
“The policies that she has announced today are unworkable, unethical and extortionate in the cost for the British taxpayer. There is no information from the Home Secretary about the costs today. Will she admit the £120 million she has announced doesn’t pay for a single person to be transferred.
“She hasn’t actually got an agreement on the price for each person. In fact, the £120 million is the eyewatering price the Home Office is paying just for a press release.”
Ms Cooper added: “So, what’s the rest of the cost? What is this year’s budget? How many people will it cover? The Home Office has briefed it might be £30,000 per person to cover up to three months’ accommodation, but that is already three times more than the ordinary cost of dealing with asylum cases in the UK. And her statement says she is going to provide five years of costs.”
Other Tory MPs hit out at the plan, including former International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell, asking Ms Patel: “Will she accept that many of us have grave concerns that the policy she has announced simply will not work?”
Mr Mitchell asked for confirmation that military aircraft will not be used to transport people to Rwanda and pressed for details to be published on the cost per asylum seeker linked to the policy.
Ms Patel, in her reply, said “we will not be using military planes for any removals” before offering to hold private talks with Mr Mitchell on other matters.
Labour ’s Dame Diana Johnson, who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee, asked: “Who would actually be eligible to be sent to Rwanda? Is it going to be single young men, is it going to be women and children?”
Ms Patel replied: “Everyone considered for relocation will be screened, interviewed and have the right access to legal advice and services, and decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.”
