Rishi Sunak confirms date of first Rwanda deportation flight after being grilled on immigration in brutal Sky general election interview

Rishi Sunak has tonight confirmed the date of the first Rwanda deportation flight, after being grilled live on air during a brutal Sky general election interview. 

The prime minister has long touted the Rwanda deportation scheme as his flagship programme to curb immigration, amid near-record levels of immigration.

Last year's immigration levels were roughly three times higher than in 2019, when the Conservative party won the election under Boris Johnson with a promise to dramatically reduce the number of people entering the UK.  

The Rwanda scheme, first proposed in 2022, will see illegal immigrants be relocated to the central African nation for processing, asylum and settlement. 

Sunak said he believed the first flight carrying illegal immigrants to Rwanda would take place on July 24, nearly three weeks after the general election. 

He told Sky News tonight during a heated interview: 'We have already started detaining people, airfields on standby, planes are booked, the date for the first flight is out on July 24, I think it is.'

He said there would be a 'regular rhythm of flights, not just one' from then. 

But it's not clear whether any will take place following the election, given the Labour party's insistence that it would scrap the scheme if elected. 

Starmer said in May that he would bin the plan 'right away' and use the money saved to hire investigators to tackle the growing problems of small boats crossing the English Channel. 

The Tory prime minister said of immigration levels: 'It's too high. I have been very clear that it's too high and I'm sure people feel frustrated and angry about it.'

When asked why anyone should believe what he says on immigration, he replied: 'I can completely understand people's cynicism about this.'

He added: 'Since I have been in charge, numbers down 10% and visas issued this year down by a quarter. I've had this job for 18 months, numbers were down last year, they're down considerably at the start of this year and they will keep coming down because of the measures I've already announced.'

The Tories yesterday pledged to 'halve migration' and then reduce the number 'every single year' if they are re-elected - as he feels the heat from Nigel Farage's Reform UK.

The Prime Minister used the Conservative manifesto launch to try to make up lost ground to the right, reiterating a pledge to introduce a cap on legal migration, allowing MPs to vote in Parliament on 'how many people should be able to come here every year'.

He also hit out at Labour over illegal migration, accusing Sir Keir Starmer of having no plan to stop the small boats crossing the Channel and vowing to get Rwanda migrant deportation flights going if he is returned to No10.

Launching the party's manifesto at Silverstone motor racing circuit in Northamptonshire on Tuesday, Mr Sunak said migration had been 'too high in recent years and we have a clear plan to reduce it', adding: 'Our plan is this: we will halve migration as we have halved inflation, and then reduce it every single year.'

It comes as the Tories look over their shoulder at Reform approaching them in poll popularity.

Asked about the Tory manifesto launch before it happened, Mr Farage said: 'I'm sorry to use this word - more lies, more lies.

'In 2010, 2015, 2017, 2019, they told us they would reduce immigration and they'll be saying the same thing today.'