Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been dealt a “humiliating” blow as Donald Trump deports migrants to Rwanda, less than a year after he axed the same scheme. The US has sent an Iraqi man to the East African country, according to local media, with more set to be flown out. US sources have alluded to the possibility of a full-scale “removal programme for third-country nationals”, The Sun reports.

After entering the White House for his second term in January, President Trump launched a sweeping crackdown on immigration. The alleged removal program could see the US pay Rwanda to support housing and integration costs. Former Conservative Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the move was “humiliating for the UK”.

Writing on the social media platform X in response to the deportation news, she said: “Well done President Trump.

“The ECHR and the Strasbourg Court stopped us from deporting illegal migrants to Rwanda. Then Labour cancelled our Rwanda deterrent on their first day in office.

“It would have made the British people safer and stopped the boats.

“The Americans are showing us what proper Border Control looks like.

“Humiliating for the UK.”

Back in 2022, Rwanda has signed an agreement with Britain to take in thousands of asylum seekers that arrive in the UK. The first scheduled removal flight was delayed due to legal complications posed by European judges.

Upon election last year, Sir Keir scrapped the deal, labelling the plan as a “gimmick”, despite costing the taxpayer more than £700million.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper recently unveiled plans to deport failed asylum seekers to "return hubs" in the Balkans. Last week, The United Nations (UN) endorsed Labour's scheme, as Ms Cooper discussed the idea for those who have gone through all the appeals processes with the head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) last month.

The UNHCR has also created its own proposals for returning failed asylum seekers, as long as the arrangements don't go against its mandate to protect refugees' human rights.

Government sources told The Times that countries in the western Balkans, such as Albania, Serbia, Bosnia, and North Macedonia, could receive the failed asylum seekers.