Interior Ministry officials are “running away” from roles related to the Rwanda project amid internal frustration over attempts to implement the government’s “unworkable” plans, internal sources have revealed.
Sources said I that the already high rates of staff departures from the department’s asylum division could rise further as civil servants look to move to another role or leave altogether, as Rishi Sunak’s July target date approaches take off a flight to Kigali.
A new wave of legal challenges is expected and officials face a range of practical difficulties, including limited detention space for asylum seekers selected for transfer.
“This law is unworkable, not just inhumane,” said an official involved in the project, revealing that there was widespread discontent about it within the ministry.
The news follows IThe revelation that Home Office staff have been asked to apply for jobs in Rwanda to help process asylum applications from migrants sent from the UK.
Some department officials were reportedly “delighted” when the Rwanda Security Law was passed this week. But others oppose the project on ethical grounds and many believe it remains illegal, fearing they will be held personally responsible.
The FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, plans to launch a judicial review against the law, and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) does not rule out voting in favor of a strike if operational staff receive the order to violate a European Court of Human Rights. decision.
“The only option staff currently have if they disagree with the policy is to change roles,” another official said.
“The asylum division has been operating at a 25 percent attrition rate for the past year because it’s generally been a shit show, and they can see that clearing the backlog of those we don’t have no chance of sending to Rwanda is another shit show. »
Huge backlogs and uncertainty over how to enforce the Prime Minister’s flagship illegal migration law mean that none of the 73,000 asylum applications lodged since March 7, 2023 have been processed, and the queue waiting lengthens every day.
Around 40,000 of them are migrants on small boats who fall under the government’s new “deportation duty”, but remain in limbo because the Rwandan program has not been activated and it does not There are no agreements in place with other countries that could apply to the program. vast majority of cases.
The prime minister promised Monday that the new laws “make it clear that if you are here illegally, you will not be able to stay.” But Interior Ministry staff said I it would be impossible to detain and then deport that many people.
-“Assuming you can catch them all, the first problem is that there is not enough holding space, nor is there enough staff,” said the official involved in the project. “Even with extraordinary detention powers, you cannot detain them uncontested for more than 28 days. This can’t work.
The civil servant added that there was “a lot of discontent” within the Home Office over the Rwandan project and the wider “mess” of the government’s asylum policies, with civil servants struggling to reach their targets. performance targets and being angered by impending job cuts and a recent order to reduce work from home from three to two days a week.
“The attrition rate has increased because people are fleeing anything directly related to Rwanda, many are receiving temporary promotions and new recruits – mostly agency staff – have to do this work, hence they leave fast,” he added.
“They’re constantly replacing people. There are always new people to train, while those with specialist knowledge leave, causing the quality of work to decline. »
A third official said many employees at the Home Office’s asylum department were uncertain about their future as the government’s plans – if implemented – would significantly reduce the number of applications they receive. ‘they could examine.
“Although the Rwanda Security Law has now been passed, we are still weeks away from any theft and further legal challenges are expected,” she added. “We are looking at a possible change of leadership later in the year and Labor have announced they will abolish this system. Most of the staff are temporary and there is quite a lot of attrition anyway, but permanent staff are concerned about the longevity of their positions.
Last year’s illegal migration law aimed to create a legal framework to quickly deport migrants from small boats to Rwanda, but the government relied on older processes to set up a first flight because it has not yet entered into force.
The Refugee Council predicted the law could leave 115,575 asylum seekers in a “permanent limbo” by the end of this year as it prevents the UK from processing their applications, but there is insufficient capacity so that they are all deported to Rwanda.
The charity predicts the backlog will lead to a “collapse” of the system. It calculates that because asylum seekers are prohibited from working to support themselves before being granted status, it would also cost the government £17.1 million a day to accommodate them and sustain.
The Refugee Council’s chief executive, Enver Solomon, said the calculations indicate “the immense cost, chaos and human misery that the illegal migration law and the Rwanda plan will unleash”, adding: “This will lead to another entirely avoidable system collapse. Instead of establishing an effective and fair asylum system, the government recklessly passed this misguided legislation, apparently without thought of its staggering costs and long-term consequences. »
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Home Office staff are committed to supporting the Government’s priority of stopping boats and delivering in line with the Civil Service Code.
“Staff working on the Rwandan project receive all the support and training necessary to fulfill their role. As the Prime Minister has made clear, we will launch flights to Rwanda in the next ten to twelve weeks.
