Labour earmarks £400m for illegal migrant flights

Labour will plough as much as £392m into its drive to deport more illegal migrants, amid accusations it is trying to ape Nigel Farage's resurgent Reform party, The Independent can reveal.

- ARCHIE MITCHELL

The Home Office is seeking a company to oversee the booking and oversight of flights deporting those with no right to remain in the UK. Contract documents seen by The Independent disclose the department is planning to spend between £179m and £392m over up to seven years on a "comprehensive service" to return migrants overseas.

Provisions being sought under the contract include a travel service for migrants being deported on scheduled flights, relationship management between the government and airline carriers to keep costs down and occasional provision of accommodation for Home Office staff.

The details of the contract come amid a growing backlash at Labour's plans to film immigration raids and publish pictures of deportation flights in a bid to "show not tell" the public what it is doing to crack down on migration.

The Refugee Council said the government was using "performative" stunts to try to promote division, while former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas said it was "sickening" to see Labour try to appease Reform.

But the change in tactics comes after Mr Farage took the lead over Labour in a series of polls, with the Reform UK leader claiming he has "terrified" Sir Keir Starmer.