Government diverts up to £75m from scrapped Rwanda plan to Border Security Command for 'autumn crime crackdown'

The government has diverted up to £75m from the scrapped Rwanda plan to fund the new Border Security Command ahead of an immigration “crime crackdown”.

Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, said the agency will “deliver a major overhaul and upgrade in law enforcement against smugglers and trafficking gangs to boost our border security”.

The immediate cash injection will fund new covert cameras and monitoring technology, the Home Office said, alongside the recruitment of new staff in the Border Security Command (BSC).

The uplift will also help establish a new unit to “improve intelligence collection across UK police forces and information flows to partners”, and increase numbers of prosecutors working in the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Rwanda scheme was introduced by the previous Conservative government in a bid to deter migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer scrapped the plan as soon as his party came into power in early July.

Shortly afterwards, Ms Cooper announced an audit of the monies sent to Kigali as the Labour administration looks to find ways to save or recoup cash committed under the Conservatives.

One estimate placed the total cost of the Rwanda scheme to around half a billion pounds by April 2027.

The Border Security Command was a key feature of Labour’s election manifesto, with Sir Keir pledging before polling day to send around £75m a year to the scheme.

The home secretary said: “Criminal gangs are getting away with undermining our border security and putting lives at risk.

“The Border Security Command will deliver a major overhaul and upgrade in law enforcement against smugglers and trafficking gangs to boost our border security.

“State of the art technology and enhanced intelligence capabilities will ensure we are using every tool at our disposal to dismantle this vile trade.”

As part of this BSC uplift, the National Crime Agency (NCA), the police and other law enforcement partners would receive significant funding boosts. This would all be as part of efforts to disrupt people-smuggling gangs in the Channel.

Rob Jones, the director general of operations at the NCA, said the funding will “allow us to improve and extend our technology, data exploitation, and capacity-building both internationally and in the UK”.