The ‘ministerial direction is used when the top civil servant in the department objects to the costs or feasibility of the spending plan. It has been used 46 times since 2011, with many issued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ministerial directions are used when the top civil servant in a department has objected to the costs or feasibility of a spending plan.

A Home Office source said: “Home Office officials are clear that deterring illegal entry would create significant savings. However, such a deterrent effect cannot be quantified with certainty.

It would be wrong to let a lack of precise modeling delay a policy aimed at reducing illegal migration, saving lives, and breaking the business model of the smuggling gangs.

The UK government is attempting to crack down on Channel crossings by small boats and as part of the plans, the Home Office has signed a deal with Rwanda to send migrants to the landlocked African country.

The Home Office said on Thursday that the first people to be sent to Rwanda will be formally notified in the coming weeks, with the first flights taking place in the next few months.

The partnership could reportedly cost £120m initially and Priti Patel said during a news conference in Kigali on Thursday that the UK is making a “substantial investment” toward the development of Rwanda.