The Prime Minister of Britain, Rishi Sunak has concluded plans to station Home Office officials in Rwanda as he tries to see off an escalating Conservative Party rebellion over his small boats policy.
The prime minister is expected to unveil a new treaty with Rwanda this week in response to a court ruling that the scheme to deport illegal migrants to the country is unlawful.
The decision to deploy British officials to support the African nation’s asylum system will be seen as vindication for Suella Braverman, the recently deposed home secretary, who pressed for the move while in government.
It comes as Conservative MPs on the party’s right warned their leader that he is facing electoral “catastrophe” – including the Tories being reduced to a “rump” of 60 seats – if the prime minister fails to tackle illegal migration.
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One backbencher said they believed “dozens” of letters of no confidence in Sunak had already been submitted to the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs.
A senior government source said preparations were under way to “step up Home Office people who will be doing training and assisting with case working in Rwanda, so that their system is as robust as possible”.
The source said that the Supreme Court ruling would also be addressed by a legally binding treaty commitment from Rwanda that it will not deport any migrants under the scheme to third countries, which was one of the chief concerns raised by the judges.
They said the judges had not been able to take into account further progress in Rwanda’s asylum system that had been achieved since the legal action started.
A second government source pointed out that some Home Office officials were already on the ground in Rwanda working on the new treaty.