DEPORTATION flights to Rwanda will take off before the general election, the illegal migration minister has declared.
The pledge was made by Michael Tomlinson — but he stressed Parliament must vote for the bill and ratify the treaty underpinning the policy.
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He insisted it was a “moral imperative” to deter the boats and stop the smuggling gangs.
Asked if he was guaranteeing flights before the next election, he told Sky News: “Yes. We need to get through the bill first.
“We need to get the treaty ratified and then the planes will take off.”
He stressed he wanted flights to v to happen “as soon as possible” so that the deterrent effect “will kick in”.
PM Rishi Sunak has accepted a £1,000 bet with TalkTV’s Piers Morgan over the success of the Rwanda plan before the election — but has not made any guarantees.
The Rwanda Bill – introduced as an attempt to revive the policy after the Supreme Court ruled it unlawful – will return to the House of Lords today but faces an onslaught.
Peers who oppose the plan are set to delay the Government’s plans, after tabling a string of wrecking amendments to strip out measures they say breach international law.
