Ministers accused of trying to ‘bribe’ voters as first migrants bound for Rwanda detained
Ministers have been accused of trying to “bribe” voters after they released pictures of the first asylum seekers being rounded up for deportation to Rwanda – and announced one other had agreed to voluntarily relocate for £3,000 – a day before the local elections.
Downing Street insisted the raids were an important step towards getting Rishi Sunak’s controversial policy airborne, and denied the operation was a cynical attempt to woo voters ahead of poll results that could decide the prime minister’s future.
His press secretary said: “For our part there really is not a day to lose when people are dying in the channel.”
Officers began detaining potential deportees on Monday at their homes or as they came to report at immigration centres – even
