Final two migrants will be released in days as Keir Starmer declares Rwanda deportation scheme 'dead and buried'

Labour has announced plans to release the last two migrants detained as part of the Rwanda scheme after Sir Keir Starmer declared the Tory policy 'dead and buried'.

Yvette Cooper, the new Home Secretary, confirmed that two people who had been held pending removal to the African country will be bailed over the coming days.

At least £290 million of taxpayers' cash had already been earmarked for the Rwanda scheme, despite no migrants ever being deported under the proposals.

It is unclear how much of the UK funding promised to Kigali for the 'Migration and Economic Development Partnership' might be recoverable.

The only people ever sent to Rwanda from Britain were a handful of failed asylum seekers who voluntarily chose to go under a separate scheme.

Each were offered up to £3,000 in financial aid to help with relocation costs.

Sir Keir, the new Prime Minister, yesterday confirmed the end of the Torie's flagship scheme to forcibly deport those arriving via small boats in the Channel to Rwanda.

Speaking at his first Downing Street press conference, he said: 'The Rwanda scheme was dead and buried before it started. It's never been a deterrent.

'Look at the numbers that have come over in the first six-and-a-bit months of this year, they are record numbers – that is the problem that we are inheriting.'

Sir Keir added: 'It's had the complete opposite effect and I'm not prepared to continue with gimmicks that don't act as a deterrent.'

A spokesperson for Ms Cooper later confirmed that two migrants who remain detained will be bailed over the coming days.

Since April, scores of people who were due to be deported have been released by immigration judges because there was no longer a realistic prospect of removal within a reasonable timescale.

On Saturday, Ms Cooper's spokesperson said that during the election campaign, 218 migrants had been bailed under the former Tory government.

'The Rwanda scheme was an extortionate gimmick… if the last Prime Minister had believed it would work, he wouldn't have called an election before a flight went off,' the spokesperson said.

'During the election campaign, the previous government had released 218 people previously detained pending removal to Rwanda.

'At this time, only two people remain in detention. These will be bailed in coming days.'

The Home Secretary briefed officials on the day she was appointed on Labour's first step to boosting border security by setting up a new 'Border Security Command'.

Plans are already underway to deliver additional capacity in the National Crime Agency to go after criminal smuggling gangs.

Earlier this year, Rwanda's President Paul Kagame suggested British taxpayers' money could be repaid if the migration deal with the UK failed.

Yolande Makolo, a spokeswoman for his administration, later said the country had 'no obligation' to return any of the funds but if the UK requested a refund 'we will consider this'.

But she made clear this would only apply to a portion of funds which were specifically allocated to pay for support for migrants, with the remaining cash put towards boosting the east African nation's economy.