The decision to abandon plans to house 1,200 asylum seekers at the former RAF base in the Yorkshire village of Linton-on-Ouse illustrates perfectly the almighty headache the next Prime Minister will face in how best to tackle a deep and growing crisis in the asylum system.
Just months after Boris Johnson announced a three pronged plan, including sending thousands of asylum seekers to Rwanda, those plans are in disarray.
Yet, both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss say they are still committed to the Rwanda policy, which they believe could prove a key deterrent to the thousands crossing the English Channel in small boats each week.
For now though, it remains mired in legal challenges, and going nowhere anytime soon.
Providing the legal dimensions can be solved, both candidates say they want to pursue more Rwanda style agreements with other countries.
Neither candidate has said they’ll pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, whose rules form the basis for many of the legal challenges.
They have only said they would consider a withdrawal from the ECHR is navigating a way through it becomes impossible.
Mr Sunak says he wants the Home Office to use the the UN’s more narrow definition of a refugee in determining who qualifies for asylum.
He’d also cancel aid payments to countries who refuse to allow the return of failed asylum seekers.
The People's Forum with Ms Truss airs exclusively on GB News at 5pm on Wednesday.
The first migrant flight to Rwanda was cancelled amid last minute legal challenges
Andrew Matthews
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel following a small boat incident in the Channel. Picture date: Monday August 8, 2022.
Gareth Fuller
