The Home Office has confirmed that the first migrants earmarked for deportation to Rwanda have been detained in a series of dawn raids across the UK. Operations took place in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from Monday, with more planned in the coming weeks.
Officials have not disclosed the exact number of detainees, but confirmed that both men and women are in custody. Children are not expected to be targeted. Video footage showed immigration enforcement officers handcuffing individuals and placing them in vans at undisclosed locations.
The detentions follow the passage of the Safety of Rwanda Act last week, with the government aiming to launch the first deportation flights within nine to 11 weeks. Home Secretary James Cleverly said: 'Our Rwanda partnership is a pioneering response to the global challenge of illegal migration.'
Downing Street described the action as 'the next stage of the Prime Minister's plan to stop the boats'. The Home Office has increased detention capacity to over 2,200 spaces and trained 200 new caseworkers to process claims swiftly.
