FLIGHTS to Rwanda will take off in just over seven weeks if Rishi Sunak wins the upcoming election, court documents have revealed.
Planes will leave the runway headed to the east African country on July 24 - but only if the Conservatives are victorious at the ballot box.
In documents submitted to the London High Court as part of a charity's challenge to the policy, Edward Brown KC, for the Home Office, said in written submissions: "The defendant confirms that he intends to effect removals with a flight to Rwanda on July 23 2024, and not before."
However, later in the hearing, Mr Brown said the first flight is now set to depart on July 24 after an "operational update".
The date is set to spark clashes between Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer in the first debate between the two leaders tomorrow night.
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Sunak has vowed that he will press on with the Rwanda deterrent if he wins on July 4.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, he said: “If I win, then all the people that we've detained are getting on those flights and those flights are going to Rwanda.
“Those people have been detained, flights are booked, airfields are on standby, escorts are there, casework is happening and those flights will go because that's how we build a deterrent.
“You've got to make it clear to everyone if you come here illegally you won't get to stay.”
He said that across Europe “the penny is dropping” that his approach works after 15 EU states voted for a similar scheme in their own countries.
The Labour Party has slammed the Rwanda policy and said they will scrap it if they are voted into power.
Sir Keir has said he will scrap the scheme “straight away” if he wins the election.
