Priti Patel

The flight would have seen 50 criminals deported but this figure was reduced to 20 following legal interventions over human rights breaches and claims of modern slavery.

A Home Office source said: “Lefty lawyers are going to spend all evening on the phones to judges in their pyjamas to try to get people who have committed heinous crimes dragged off this flight.”

Ms Patel referred to two of the cases in a reply to 70 Labour MPs, led by Clive Lewis, who called on her to cancel the flight.

“Take for example, Mr A. He was convicted of rape, served his time in prison and was put on the sex offenders register,” she said.

“During his trial, his victim issued a heartbreaking statement to the court where she talked of the pain and suffering this caused her… we aim to deport her attacker.

“Or take Mr B, who violently murdered a father of one and was sentenced to life in prison… we aim to deport this murderer.

“So, when you and other Labour MPs continue to call for the government to stop this flight, I would implore you to think of the victims of these criminals’ shameful offences.

“This flight is about criminality, not nationality. Staying in this country is a privilege, not a right. This government will never stand by and allow foreign criminals, who have no right to remain, to walk free on our streets.”