Senior Tories say Priti Patel was always banking on never having to implement her cruel plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
They claim the Home Secretary hoped it would become so bogged down in legal challenges she would never have to get it off the ground and it would be quietly forgotten.
And they say it was only ever intended as a vote sweetening announcement for next month’s local elections.
One ex-minister told the Sunday Mirror: “This nasty idea has served its purpose - which was to throw some red meat to former UKIP voters.
“We know we’ll take a hammering at the polls over partygate. This was designed to limit the damage.”
Another Tory MP said: “Priti will now be able to blame left-wing lawyers for scuppering this. I know there are those in the Home Office who think that was the plan all along.”
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper added: “This just shows how cynical the Tories are.
“Instead of a serious plan to tackle the criminal gangs, they are chasing headlines by announcing unworkable and incredibly costly policies.”
The announcement was made just as the Government went into its three week election purdah when no new policies can be unveiled until polls close on May 5th.
Experts say it would be against international law to send cross-Channel migrants to Rwanda while allowing asylum applications by those who fly here.
Former Home Office immigration adviser Claire Pearsall said: “It is unlawful under the UN refugee convention to discriminate on method of arrival.
“We always dismissed offshoring because it is expensive, unworkable and no deterrent. People smugglers simply change their business model.”
Ms Patel wants to give migrants who cross the Channel in inflatables a one way ticket to the African country after a record 28,000 made the perilous journey to our shores last year.
But the cost of sending them has been estimated at £2million for each refugee.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby slammed the scheme as ungodly while former PM Theresa May said it could lead to more trafficking in women and children.
One Home Office staffer described it as “a car crash waiting to happen”. And there are even threats of industrial action if Ms Patel persists with the plan.
Mark Serwotka of civil service union PCS said: “Our objections are absolute and we are assessing our options.”
One Home Office official posted on an internal online noticeboard: “The words ‘I was only obeying orders’ are echoing down through history to me and making me queasy.”
Tory MP Simon Hoare said safe routes should be opened up instead, while Commons Justice Committee chair Sir Bob Neill said money intended for Rwanda would be better used speeding up asylum claims here.
Ms Patel said: “Change is needed because people are dying attempting to come to the UK on illegal and dangerous routes.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Our new Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda fully complies with all international and national law.
"Whilst we expect the Partnership to be challenged in the court, we will defend any legal challenge robustly.”
