Rwanda flights will begin this spring, Sunak insists

Rishi Sunak reiterated his promise yesterday to begin deportation flights this spring as MPs prepared to give his plans a boost by rejecting a series of Lords amendments to the Rwanda bill.

- Kiran Stacey

The prime minister insisted the first deportation flight to the African country would depart before the summer, even if the bill to enable them takes several weeks to clear parliament.

Speaking hours before the latest in a series of votes on the bill, Sunak said yesterday: "I am still committed to the timeline that I set out previously, which is we aim to get a flight off in the spring." Officials admit the bill might not pass the Lords until after Easter, but insist that will give them enough time to hit the prime minister's deadline.

"The timeline remains unchanged, whether the bill is passed before or after Easter," said one.

Sunak was speaking before the votes on the bill, during which MPs were to decide on whether to accept 10 amendments passed by members of the House of Lords in recent weeks.