Now Europe copies Rishi on Rwanda: Slap in the face for self-righteous opponents of PM's bid to tackle migrant crisis as even Brussels president admits it's a good idea

Rishi Sunak is today celebrating a vote of confidence in his Rwanda migrant plan after European politicians pledged their own copycat schemes.

The Prime Minister has praised foreign parties for 'following our lead' and finally 'recognising a meaningful deterrent is the only way to stop the boats'.

Britain has spent years fighting European bodies for the right to remove illegal migrants.

But now even Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has backed a policy of deporting people to third countries for asylum processing.

In its manifesto for June's European elections, Ms Von der Leyen's European People's Party (EPP) calls for 'a fundamental change in European asylum law'.

The EPP grouping, the largest in the European Parliament, has pledged: 'We want to implement the concept of safe third countries. Anyone applying for asylum in the EU could also be transferred to a safe third country and undergo the asylum process there.'

Writing in today's Mail on Sunday, a delighted Mr Sunak says: 'I said when I first became Prime Minister that others would recognise a meaningful deterrent is the only way to stop the boats and now even top parties in the EU are following our lead.'

The Prime Minister, whose Bill allowing illegal migrants to be deported to Rwanda was passed by Parliament last week, has vowed that he will not allow lawyers to use the European Convention on Human Rights to block the plans, saying that they were 'more important' than 'membership of any foreign court'.

Senior Tories have urged him to reform the convention, or leave it altogether, if it is used to block the fights.

Mr Sunak makes his remarks ahead of crucial local elections on Thursday which could determine his fate as leader.

With the party expected to sustain heavy losses, Tory MPs have been debating whether to install a replacement such as Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt through a 'coronation'.

Defeat for the Tory mayors in Teesside and the West Midlands, who are defending large majorities, could trigger a coup.

Morale has been boosted in an under-siege Downing Street by two weeks of more positive news for the Prime Minister.

In addition to the Rwanda Bill, Mr Sunak also appeased some of his critics by declaring that defence spending will rise to 2.5 per cent of GDP and announcing a crackdown on welfare claimants.

The burst of activity has led some MPs to speculate that he could call a snap General Election this week, in part to drown out Thursday's results.

In his MoS article, Mr Sunak says: 'I want a welfare system that is fair to the taxpayers who have to fund it.

'I want to stop the boats because it is not right or fair that people can simply arrive on our coast illegally and then get to stay.

'And I want us to have security in an increasingly dangerous world, so I will back our military so we can stand up for our interests, defend our values and deter our enemies.' The Safety of Rwanda Act, which aims to avoid further legal challenges to the policy by declaring Rwanda a safe country, was passed into law on Thursday.

Mr Sunak said: 'We finally overcame the opposition from the Labour party and got our Rwanda Bill through.

'We have been preparing for this moment, so we can immediately start the process of removing people for the first flight.

'But it's not about one flight. Under this government, we are going to permanently remove people to Rwanda with a regular rhythm of multiple flights every month until the boats are stopped and we have truly broken the business model of the criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people and put their lives at risk.'

After praising the EPP pledge, Mr Sunak says: 'If Britain gains a global reputation for being tough on illegal migration, I am very comfortable with that. It is the right thing for our country.

'If Keir Starmer wants to be seen as a soft touch on securing our borders, he will soon learn the consequences of that.'

Mr Sunak had originally set a target for flights to take off to Rwanda by the spring, but now says this should happen within ten to 12 weeks.

A back-handed endorsement of the policy came last week from Irish Deputy Prime Minister Micheal Martin, who said people 'fearful' of staying in the UK were crossing the border from Northern Ireland to the Republic so they would not be sent to Rwanda.

Last September, Ms Von der Leyen visited a migrant reception centre on the Italian island of Lampedusa, after the country's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, called for EU help with small boat arrivals, saying Italy was being placed under 'unsustainable pressure'. Ms Von der Leyen acknowledged that the issue was 'a European challenge and needs a European answer'.

If she secures another term as president, she is expected to finalise agreements with neighbouring states in North Africa and the Middle East to slow the influx of incoming migrants.

So far, the EU has signed agreements with Tunisia, Mauritania and Egypt, which are limited to paying the countries to do more to control migration.

In its manifesto pledge, the EPP says: 'We are committed to the fundamental right to asylum, but the EU, together with its member states, must have the right to decide whom and where is it granted.

'We will conclude agreements with third countries to ensure asylum seekers can also be granted protection in a civilised and safe way. We want to implement the concept of safe third countries.

'Anyone applying for asylum in the EU could also be transferred to a safe third country and undergo the asylum process there.

'In case of a positive outcome, the safe third country will grant protection to the applicant on-site. A comprehensive contractual agreement will be established with the safe third country.'