Jet carrying deported migrants from Britain to Rwanda could take off within WEEKS
A FLIGHT to deport migrants to Rwanda is lined up to take off as early as September, The Sun can reveal.
It is being readied as sources say Rishi Sunak is increasingly hopeful of winning a court fight to start his deterrent plan.
The Home Office is secretly preparing for a controversial Rwanda deportation flight as soon as late September, The Sun can reveal.
Hopes are growing in Government they will win in the Court of Appeal — and avoid a Supreme Court showdown on the small Channel boats deterrent scheme.
Ministers believe if judges throw out the appeal lodged by unions and human rights groups, it is unlikely that there will then be a legal justification for sending the case to the highest court in the land.
A senior government source said: “There’s a world in which we are wheels-up later this year and the Supreme Court do not get involved.”
A previous attempt to export failed asylum-seekers to the African country was grounded by the European Court of Human Rights, in Strasbourg, on a temporary injunction.
But the Government won in the High Court earlier this year — with the Rwanda scheme deemed lawful.
The Court of Appeal is expected to give its own verdict this month.
The scheme is seen as a deterrent to migrants risking their lives by illegally crossing the Channel in small boats.
Meanwhile, the Government will continue its battle with the House of Lords to pass its hardline immigration Bill, which will make deportations more legally sound.
The PM has suggested he could use the Parliament Act to push it into law if peers try to block it.
The rarely used Act allows the PM to overrule the Lords — and he has refused to rule it out.
He told the Daily Telegraph: “This legislation is incredibly important. It passed the House of Commons very strongly. And my intention is to see this piece of legislation on the statute books so we can start using it.”
When pushed again on possibly using the Act, he said: “I want to see this legislation on the statute book. It’s the country’s priority.”
No10 last night refused to deny possibly using the Act, but said: “We hope the Lords agree with the Commons.”