Rishi Sunak has said the first flights carrying asylum seekers to Rwanda will leave in 10 to 12 weeks, and the government will ensure they leave “come what may”.
The Prime Minister used a press conference this morning to outline a “robust” operational plan ahead of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill's final showdown in Parliament tonight.
He put further pressure on the Lords to end resistance to the scheme, as he said commercial flights have been put on standby, and promised there will be a “regular rhythm of multiple flights [to Rwanda] every month...until the boats are stopped”.
The scheme had initially been due to start in Spring, but Mr Sunak blamed Labour opposition to the scheme for the delays, vowing: “We will start the flights and we will stop the boats.
“No foreign court will stop us from getting flights off,” he added.
Weeks of parliamentary back-and-forth are set to come to a head tonight. The Government has vowed to keep Parliament sitting late into the night if necessary to pass the Bill.
Peers have repeatedly blocked the legislation with a series of amendments, stretching debate on the "emergency legislation" over more than four months and delaying flights taking asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Downing Street is hostile to the idea of making concessions to secure the passage of the Bill, leading to a deadlock with the Lords.
