Home Office hires Netflix Squid Game aircraft hangar for £7.4million to practice forcing 'disruptive' migrants onto Rwanda planes
- The department has rented out the Cardington Airfield hangar in Bedfordshire
- It was used last year for the filming of Netflix's Squid Game: The Challenge
The Home Office has hired an aircraft hanger used in Netflix's Squid Game reality show spin off for staff to practice forcing asylum seekers onto planes to Rwanda.
The Government department has splashed £7.4 million on renting out the Cardington Airfield hangar in Bedfordshire, which was used last year for the filming of Netflix's Squid Game: The Challenge, according to The Sun.
It has long been a popular filming location for Hollywood blockbusters including Star Wars: A New Hope, released in 1977, its 2016 spin off Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and two of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight films.
The 146,000 square foot former RAF base will reportedly cost £6.4 million to rent for 15 months.
A further £670,000 will be spent on hiring three aircraft fuselages to carry out the practice runs along with £315,000 spent on meals from a catering company.
The Cardington Airfield hangar in Bedfordshire which has been hired out for staff to practice forcing asylum seekers onto planes to Rwanda
The 146,000 square foot former RAF base was previously used for filming of the Netflix competition Squid Game: The Challenge
The hangar was also used a filming location in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Pictured: Actors Felicity Jones and Diego Luna in a scene from the film
It emerged last month that the Government had hired a hangar on a year-long lease for security staff to practise forcing Channel migrants onto flights to Rwanda.
The Times reported that the facility will allow them to develop tactics to overcome situations including the use of violence, 'playing dead' and 'dirty protests' where deportees deliberately soil themselves to avoid getting on board.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he is 'determined' to get his Rwanda Bill through Parliament, despite stern opposition in the House of Lords.
Speaking to broadcasters while on a visit to Hampshire last month, the Prime Minister said: 'I think it's really important that we stop the boats, it's one of the priorities I set out to the country last year.
'I am pleased our plan is working and that we're making progress. The numbers last year were down by over a third, that hasn't happened before, so that shows that we can make a difference here.
'In order to fully solve this problem we need to have a deterrent, so that when people come here illegally they won't be able to stay and will be removed.
'That is why the Rwanda scheme is so important, and that's why I'm determined to get it through Parliament and get it up and running as quickly as possible so we can properly solve this problem.
'We have got a plan, this plan is working, if we stick with it we can deliver the change people want to see.'
Downing Street said it was 'confident' Rwanda would implement improved measures into its asylum system in time for a new treaty with the UK being ratified by Parliament.
The Home Office told The Sun: 'Since 2015, the government has had training facilities so escorts have skills they need to deal with different scenarios.'
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