Boris Johnson has been accused of unveiling plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda as a "massive distraction" from his Partygate woes.
Senior Tory MP Tobias Ellwood blasted the Prime Minister for trying to shift the focus onto a scheme to fly people seeking sanctuary in the UK more than 4,000 miles for "processing".
The crisis-hit Prime Minister set out the move in a speech in Kent today, where he boasted he was “taking back control of illegal immigration” after Brexit by sending Channel boat passengers to Rwanda.
But crucial details were missing as critics said it was morally wrong - and won't work.
Asylum seekers who have arrived “illegally” on dinghies since January 1 will be sent thousands of miles for processing - despite nearly two-thirds being deemed genuine refugees.
They will then be encouraged to settle in the east African nation permanently while they wait.
But he admitted it wouldn't be operational "overnight" as it would likely be subject to legal challenges.
The PM also announced the Navy was taking over responsibility for tackling Channel crossings from today and a new Greek-style holding centre for those allowed to stay in Britain will open “shortly”.
But Mr Johnson did not say when the “uncapped” plan would start, how many people it would force to Rwanda, or how much it would cost.
He said the aim was to ensure people fleeing persecution were settled "through safe and legal routes", rather than relying on illegal means to get the UK.
"Whether you are fleeing Putin or Assad, our aim is that you should not need to turn to the people smugglers or any other kind of illegal option," he said.
"But to deliver that we must first ensure that the only route to asylum... in the UK is a safe and legal one and that those who try to jump the queue or abuse our system will find no automatic path to settlement in our country but rather be swiftly and humanely removed to a safe and third country or their country of origin."
Home Secretary Priti Patel has travelled to Rwanda where she is expected to ink an agreement later today.
But critics have raised questions about the timing of the announcement, which comes after Mr Johnson was fined by police over a lockdown birthday gathering.
Mr Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were all issued with Partygate fines over the surprise birthday do in the Cabinet Room in Downing Street on June 19 2020.
The PM and the Chancellor apologised but both men have refused to resign for breaking laws that their Government imposed on the public.
Mr Ellwood, who chairs the Commons Defence Committee, told the Today programme: "He's [ Boris Johnson ] trying to make an announcement today on migration, and all of this is a massive distraction.
"It's not going away. It is a crisis. It requires crisis management. There needs to be a plan.
"Otherwise, we're in drift mode, with potentially more resignations and more letters of concern. That isn't where we want to go - it will then dominate the political agenda."
Mr Ellwood added: "My concern is, is that this will then drift because there are four more fixed penalty notices to come and the Sue Gray report as well.
"There needs to be an opportunity in the very near future for us to draw a line on where we go and how the party then moves forward."
Labour's Lucy Powell said the announcement was "less about dealing with small boats and more about dealing with the Prime Minister's own sinking boat".
It comes as sources told the Mirror that Mr Johnson could face three further fines for attending lockdown-breaking parties.
Scotland Yard have issued 50 fines so far as part of their Partygate probe, which so far covers Mr Johnson's birthday bash and several boozy leaving dos attended by officials.
The police are investigating 12 events which took place in Downing Street and Whitehall during the pandemic.
The PM is believed to have attended six of these parties.
Welsh Secretary Simon Hart claimed it didn't matter how many fines the Prime Minister received.
He told LBC: "I don't think fixed penalty notices should include automatic sacking for people who happen to be in public life."
Asked if he would feel the same way if it was half a dozen fines, he said: "Frankly, the principle are the same whether it's one or five, some people will take a view there is a sort of ceiling.
"I personally don't understand the logic of that. But others, as I say, on this may take a different view."
