A CABINET minister has claimed that flights deporting asylum-seekers to Rwanda could begin “within weeks,” despite being unable to confirm whether the government has found an airline willing to facilitate the racist scheme.

Speaking to Sky News today, Health Secretary Victoria Atkins claimed the Home Office was “ready to go” in implementing the plan and that it was “working on” finding a carrier. 

The so-called Safety of Rwanda Bill, which aims to prevent legal challenges to the deportations, is due to return to the Commons this week. 

Under the legislation, flagged by Parliament’s human rights committee as being “fundamentally incompatible” with Britain’s human rights obligations, judges would be compelled to regard Rwanda as a safe country, limiting asylum-seekers’ ability to contest their deportation on that basis.

Ministers would also have the power to ignore emergency injunctions.

The Financial Times cited a Home Office insider last week as saying that Rwanda’s state-owned airline had refused to participate in the scheme “because of the potential damage to their brand.”

Deputy Tory Party chairwoman Rachel Maclean told Times Radio that she was “sure that we will have a carrier in place.”

In response, Stand Up To Racism co-convener Sabby Dhalu branded the Rwanda policy a “violation of human rights — racist and unworkable.”

“Obviously, the government is adamant that flights will take off to Rwanda immediately after the passage of the Rwanda Bill,” she said.

“However, what happens in reality remains to be seen. 

“The Bill could still be challenged in the courts and even if flights do take off, there aren’t enough places in Rwanda anyway.

“The only solution to stopping asylum-seekers making perilous journeys across the Channel is to implement safe passage, then process applications quickly and efficiently.”