Rishi Sunak could face the biggest backbench rebellion of his premiership today over his Illegal Migration Bill, which returns to the Commons today for debate by MPs.
Sunak will face revolt from Conservatives who feel it is too harsh and want child refugees to be exempt from the Government's policy to deport all migrants who arrive in Britain illegally.
It comes as Home Secretary Suella Braverman faces a Cabinet war over plans to block Strasbourg’s interference in small boats cases.
It's understood that Government legal advisers are to oppose plans that would allow the Home Office to ignore injunctions by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, with Attorney General Victoria Prentis raising concerns about the measures on the grounds they would breach international law.
Suella Braverman has denied claims that she is secretly backing the rebels to force through changes that are resisted by government legal officers.
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Top lawyer Sir James Eadie KC, who advises the Government on legal matters, is also believed to have expressed reservations.
However, 60 Tory backbenchers are lobbying for even tougher action, and are threatening to vote against the Bill unless Sunak agrees to the proposed changes.
The rebels are "holding out for a dispatch box commitment" to the amendments to the Bill according to the Daily Mail, which also include preventing judges in British courts from granting judicial reviews that would delay the removal of foreign nationals.
Four amendments to the bill tabled by backbenchers include legislation allowing Ministers to ignore Rule 39 orders and other interventions by the Strasbourg court which prevent migrants being deported to Rwanda or another safe country.
Their amendments are due to be considered by MPs on Tuesday March 28.
"We want the Government to say they have listened to us. Suella needs to give a very big speech saying what we want to hear, otherwise the question that will be posed is why the Government decided to sell out on immigration" a source told the Mail.
They added: "Red Wall voters want this tackled now and by any means necessary.
"If we fail to stop the boats by Christmas we are out of office, full stop."
The home secretary has pledged to end small-boat crossings
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Another source confirmed the Rule 39 measures in the Bill are "not 100 per cent yet’.
It is unclear why a key element of the flagship immigration reforms is being opposed from within Government at such a late stage, nearly three weeks after Ministers trumpeted the Bill as their solution to the Channel crisis.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman is hoping to begin deportation flights to Rwanda by the summer.
