She explained that she and a group of other Tory MPs previously took a “car-load of donations” to the migrant camp known as the ‘Jungle’ in Calais, where she spoke to young men staying there about why they wan to come to the UK.

She added: “I heard there stories directly, but it doesn’t mean that it’s morally right to continue a situation where we have people risking their lives and paying people smugglers to do that. 

“We have to do something different to deter that.”

On Thursday, deportation flights to Rwanda were blocked by the Court of Appeal because of “deficiencies” in its asylum system that made it unsafe and therefore unlawful for migrants to be sent to the east African state, court documents show.

In a split judgment, two of the three judges ruled that there was a real risk that asylum-seekers sent to Rwanda would be returned to their home country, where they faced persecution or other inhumane treatment, in breach of Article Three of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The judgment was the culmination of a year-long legal battle that began last June when a single judge behind closed doors issued a so-called rule 39 injunction blocking the first deportation flight to Rwanda at the 11th hour.

However, Rishi Sunak is said to be “positive” about overturning the verdict.