Labour is “rolling out the red carpet” for Channel migrants after allowing those shortlisted for deportation flights to Rwanda to claim asylum. The Home Office has confirmed cases will be “finalised” by the end of this year after the Conservatives ruled their bids inadmissible so they could be put on one-way flights to Kigali.

More than 5,600 migrants were shortlisted for deportation flights to Rwanda, the Daily Express revealed. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer scrapped the plan on his first day in office, prompting fury over the lack of deterrents to migrants hoping to cross the Channel. Matt Vickers, shadow Home Office minister, said: “Labour promised to smash the gangs, but all they have done since getting in is roll out the red carpet for them.

“The migrant emergency needs more than weasel words – it needs tough action. Labour need to put petty party politics aside and listen to our ideas to reinstate the Rwanda plan, crack down on indefinite leave to remain and deport all foreign criminals.

“If they’re unwilling to work with us in the national interest, Labour should at least listen to the National Crime Agency who have said that a returns deterrent is the only way to stop the boats.

“Britain deserves better than this borders fiasco.”

An internal Home Office document – seen by this newspaper – stated “5,664 individuals were in scope for potential inclusion for relocation to Rwanda”.

About 3,000 of this cohort were being “supported”, meaning they were living in taxpayer-funded hotels or asylum accommodation.

But only four migrants were ever taken to Kigali – all on a voluntary basis.

The Home Office said on Tuesday: “By way of update on the status of this group of asylum claims, the Home Office has discontinued inadmissibility action and is committed to substantively considering the merits of the asylum claims.

“There remain a diminishing number of asylum claims in this group that are pending decision.

“The Home Office confirms that work is progressing and will continue until all claims have received a substantive asylum decision.

“Whilst a rigid timeframe for completion cannot be given, it is estimated that all workable cases should be finalised by the end of the year at the latest.”

More than 7,000 migrants are feared to have crossed the Channel this year after smugglers exploited a narrow window of good weather on Tuesday to launch boats bound for Britain.

Hundreds of migrants were detected on Tuesday, with Border Force and the French navy scrambling to keep up with the smugglers.

Every French patrol vessel was tasked with responding to at least eight small boats sighted in the Channel, GB News reported. The Dungeness RNLI lifeboat also raced into the middle of the Channel and went back to Dover, according to ship-tracking website Marine Traffic, because every Border Force boat was rescuing migrants.

Sir Keir, speaking at an Organised Immigration Crime Summit on Monday, admitted Channel migrants and failed asylum seekers could be sent abroad to “return hubs”.

The Home Office has discussed proposals to set up overseas “return hubs” to house asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected and all appeals exhausted.

Officials are refusing to reveal who the Home Office is talking to, though Western Balkan nations are widely believed to be a potential host.

Sir Keir said: “We will look at anything that works. Obviously, that’s got to be consistent with international law and it’s got to be cost-effective. The Rwanda scheme was neither of those. But we are working with other countries on anything that we think will work.

“I obviously, as you know, went over to Italy to visit Giorgia Meloni to have an in-depth discussion with her about some of the work that she was doing.”

The countries involved would be paid by the UK for every failed asylum seeker they agreed to take on. The move would allow Britain to remove failed asylum seekers from countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and Syria.

The Rwanda flights were grounded by successive legal challenges.

After the Supreme Court ruled that the scheme was unlawful in November 2023, Rishi Sunak’s government introduced emergency legislation to make clear in UK law that Rwanda is a safe country.

The Safety of Rwanda Bill, which was finally approved after intense political wrangling, ordered courts to ignore key sections of the Human Rights Act.

It also compelled the courts to disregard other British laws or international rules, such as the international Refugee Convention, which would block deportations to Rwanda.

The UK government also signed a new migration treaty with Rwanda, which former home secretary James Cleverly said guarantees that anyone sent there would not risk being returned to their home country.

Other European nations were watching how the scheme worked, with the intention of then replicating them, sources have told the Daily Express.