Unions condemn rule change that could force civil servants to break law on Rwanda plan

Planned change would force civil servants to follow ministerial decisions on Rwanda policy over any rulings from Strasbourg court

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Unions have condemned a planned change to Whitehall rules meaning civil servants must ignore Strasbourg judgments halting Rwanda deportation flights.

The illegal migration minister, Michael Tomlinson, said on Wednesday that ministers were planning to tweak the civil service code to order officials to follow ministerial decisions even if they block last-minute injunctions from the European court of human rights.