Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary says he'd 'happily' offer Rwanda deportation flights

24 April 2024, 18:56 | Updated: 24 April 2024, 19:02

The boss of Ryanair has announced he would "happily" fly asylum seekers to Rwanda under Rishi Sunak’s deportation plans.

Michael O'Leary, CEO of the budget airline, said Ryanair had not been approached by the UK government to ask them to carry out the flights.

However, he suggested he would have no issues about helping the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak deliver his controversial new policy - which the United Nations warned earlier this week would breach the refugee convention.

“If it was the winter schedule and we had spare aircraft sitting around and if the government were looking for additional deportation flights or any other flights, we would happily quote for the business,” Mr O’Leary said in a Bloomberg interview.

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The UN was among leading voices calling for the UK government to reconsider its policy, including that it would fail as a deterrent to stop seekers trying from reaching the UK in small boats.

However, Sunak has vowed that nothing will stop the government getting migrant flights setting off to Rwanda after the controversial bill finally passed on Monday night.

In November 2023, the Supreme Court blocked the plan and ruled that it was unlawful.

Sunak faced pressure to rethink his policy after five migrants, including a young girl, died in an incident trying to cross the channel just hours after it cleared in Parliament.

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