TORY AMBITION TO DEPORT 100,000 ILLEGAL MIGRANTS

RISHI Sunak has fired up the election by promising to slash legal migration in half with a Tory plan emerging to deport as many as 100,000 illegal immigrants.

- Sam Lister, Steph Spyro

Unveiling his manifesto, the Prime Minister shifted firmly on to the front foot by vowing deportation flights to Rwanda will take off within days if the Conservatives are returned to office.

Tory sources revealed the manifesto plans meant as many as 100,000 illegal migrants could be sent to Rwanda and a series of other countries considered for deportations in "an uncapped scheme". The PM said the Tories would halve legal migration then cut numbers "every single year" and he attacked Sir Keir Starmer's Labour for not having a plan to thwart illegal migration.

More than 125,000 migrants have reached the UK on small boats since 2018 and most are still here. The Tories suggested up to 100,000 people who have crossed the Channel illegally will be deported to other countries under their proposals.

A spokesman said the deal with Rwanda is "uncapped" but some arrivals will be returned to their home country. Around 10,000 Albanians have already been sent back under an agreement struck with the Balkan nation.

The Government has been in talks with other countries, such as Vietnam, to replicate the deal with Rwanda's leadership in Kigali.

A Tory spokesman said a pact with the East African nation is "an uncapped scheme - this is the whole point". Efforts to broker similar deals would continue under the Conservatives, he added.

Revving up his party's election campaign yesterday, Mr Sunak laid out his blueprint for the UK in a speech at Silverstone race track.

He announced £17billion of tax cuts to help workers, pensioners and parents over the next five years.

Promising to fight to the end for every vote, the PM claimed Labour planned to pick the public's pockets while failing to tackle migration.