Rishi Sunak is set to face a major Cabinet revolt if he opts to quit the European Convention on Human Rights.
At least 12 senior ministers are opposed to walking away from the international human rights treaty, The Times reports.
They are understood to include Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Home Secretary James Cleverly and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk.
Cabinet ministers against cutting ties with the convention outnumber those in favour by two to one.
The Prime Minister last week gave his strongest hint yet that he could back leaving the ECHR if it blocks the Rwanda plan.
Mr Sunak told The Sun’s Never Mind The Ballots programme: “I believe that all plans are compliant with all of our international obligations including the ECHR, but I do believe that border security and making sure that we can control illegal migration is more important than membership of a foreign court because it’s fundamental to our sovereignty as a country.”
Conservative MPs including former home secretary Suella Braverman have previously pushed for the UK to leave the ECHR over fears it could prevent asylum seekers from being deported to Rwanda.
And there have been fresh calls after a landmark ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg yesterday that governments have a duty to protect people from climate change.
But those on the left of the party in the One Nation group have warned against withdrawing from the convention.
The Prime Minister has previously resisted calls to quit the ECHR but said he would be willing to defy orders from the European Court of Human Rights if necessary to implement his Rwanda plan.
The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill currently making its way through Parliament includes provisions that would allow ministers to ignore such orders.
