Mr Sunak, whose Conservative Party is well behind the Labour Party in opinion polls and in danger of slipping into third place, said the court could not be allowed to prevent the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda.

The Conservative manifesto, published yesterday, states: “We will run a relentless, continual process of permanently removing illegal migrants to Rwanda with a regular rhythm of flights every month, starting this July, until the boats are stopped.

“If we are forced to choose between our security and the jurisdiction of a foreign court, including the ECtHR, we will always choose our security.”

The controversial Rwanda scheme has been beset by a series of domestic and international legal challenges since it was first announced.

The High Court in Belfast last month ruled that legislation providing for the deportation of asylum seekers cannot be enforced in Northern Ireland.

The court said certain provisions of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 constitute a diminution of rights in breach of post-Brexit rules and are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Labour Party, which will publish its manifesto tomorrow, has said it will scrap the Rwanda scheme.