News of the accelerated plan comes as PM Rishi Sunak today promises Sunday Express readers he will honour his promise to the British people and “finish the job and stop the boats”.
We can reveal preparations are underway at the heart of Govern-ment to ensure the controversial plan to remove people who have come to the UK in small boats is not stopped by European judges.
Tory MPs say getting the flights off the ground by the new year would represent a triumph for Mr Sunak and strike a major blow against the people smugglers. A top Government source said if Britain’s Supreme Court gives the flights the green light they could take off in a “matter of weeks”.
A leading supporter of the scheme said that if the first plane leaves before Christ-mas this would be
a “victory for every law-abiding citizen in the country”.
Crunch hearings will begin tomorrow at the Supreme Court into whether the plan to send asylum seekers to the African state is lawful.
Judges are not expected to deliver their verdict until mid-November but there are hopes the process can be accelerated.
Supporters of the Rwanda scheme say it will act as a vital “deterrent” and smash the business model of people smugglers.
It is hoped that if people know they will not be able to remain
in the UK they will not get on board dinghies for the dangerous journey across the Channel.
The Prime Minister has made stopping the boats one of his
five priorities for Government. He said: “Sunday Exp-ress readers will agree, it should be the democratically elected government of this country which decides who comes here, not the criminal gangs – so that’s what we are going to deliver for the British people.”
Mr Sunak last week urged European leaders at a summit in Spain to work together to tackle the migrant crisis, warning that the present situation is “immoral and unsustainable”.
He added: “Britain is leading the world in tackling illegal migration. We took the bold step to speak out about the scale of
the problem and we are taking the radical action to tackle it.
“Now other countries are following our lead – including looking at our Rwanda plan.”
Intense work is going on in Whitehall to make sure European judges are not able to stop the planes leaving. The first flight due to depart for Rwanda was grounded in June last year following an injunction from the European Court of Human Rights.
Preparations are underway to ensure this cannot happen again.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk is working with the Prime Minister on the details of the plan and steps have been taken to ensure there are enough judges to hear pre-flight appeals.
A senior source said: “Our robust system is deliberately designed to stand up to
all legal scrutiny, to ensure we can get the flights off the ground.”
Migrants will be able to appeal first to the Home Office and then to the “upper tribunal”. Sources are confident that if they can show migrants have received legal aid and had their cases heard by “world class British judges” this will reduce the chances of the Strasbourg Court halting planes.
The early take-off of flights would win the PM loud cheers on the Tory backbenches.
Conservative MP Marco Longhi said: “Getting Rwanda flights to take off before Christmas would be a victory for every law-abiding citizen in the country and a
decisive blow against the people smugglers and their foul criminal trade. This would show that
a democratically elected government has delivered on the wishes of the people and that nobody – no foreign judge, crafty lawyer or shameless opportunist – can stand in its way.
“Flights before Christmas would give everyone a clear reason to vote Conservative in 2024.”
Mr Sunak told the Sunday Exp-ress: “Last week I led a meeting with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to agree a plan with Euro-
pean leaders to tackle the issue.
“Together we are determined to break the business model of the criminal gangs who profit from other people’s misery, and smash every link in their supply chain.
“I promised the British people that I would stop the boats.
“Some said it couldn’t be done. But this year the numbers are down by a fifth. That’s the first time they have gone down – while they have risen in Europe.
“That’s because of the action we have taken. So we will keep
working, at home and with international partners, to finish the job and stop the boats.”
