Rishi Sunak ‘hoped to block project’ to send migrants to Rwanda when chancellor

Rishi Sunak ‘hoped to block project’ to send migrants to Rwanda when chancellor

Rishi Sunak ‘hoped to block project’ to send migrants to Rwanda when chancellor

  • The leadership candidate has vowed to uphold Mr Johnson’s immigration policy
  • Controversial £120m settlement deports asylum seekers to African nation
  • Cabinet sources claimed that Mr Sunak opposed the policy because it was too expensive

Through Tara Cobham for Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Rishi Sunak tried to block Boris Johnson‘s Rwanda policy when he was chancellor, senior sources said last night.

The candidate for leadership has vowed to abide by Mr Johnson’s flagship immigration policy of deporting asylum seekers to the East African nation.

Last week he spoke in support of the controversial £120 million settlement ‘as child and grandchild of immigrants’ to Britain.

Cabinet sources have told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Sunak opposed the policy because it was too expensive ¿ and tried to prevent it from going through

Cabinet sources have told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Sunak opposed the policy because it was too expensive – and tried to prevent it from going through

But cabinet sources have told The Mail on Sunday that Mr Sunak opposed the policy because it was too expensive – and tried to prevent it from going ahead.

Obviously, he expressed concern when Interior Minister Priti Patel informed the cabinet of the plans, which had been guarded for months.

But during the leadership race, Mr Sunak insisted that he enforce the policy, saying it was necessary to prevent criminal gangs from endangering human lives.

Sunak told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I think it’s absolutely crucial that we have control over our borders, and I say that as a child and grandchild of immigrants.’

Sunak is one of five contenders for conservative party leadership. During the leadership race, Mr Sunak (pictured here during the first Conservative leadership debate) insisted that he stick to the policy, saying it was necessary to prevent criminal gangs from endangering human lives

Sunak is one of five contenders for conservative party leadership. During the leadership race, Mr Sunak (pictured here during the first conservative leadership debate) insisted that he stick to the policy, saying it was necessary to prevent criminal gangs from endangering human lives

The first flight to deport migrants to Rwanda was blocked last month after a last-minute intervention by the European Court of Human Rights.

A spokesman for Mr Sunak’s campaign said: “Rishi will address the issue of illegal migration directly and ensure that the policy is implemented if he becomes prime minister.”