Rishi Sunak. The PM claims the EU are soon to follow suit (Image: Getty)

Britain is leading the world in the battle against illegal immigration, Rishi Sunak claimed as he defended taking « bold and radical action to tackle this problem ».

In the clearest sign yet that he had no intention of backing away from the controversial plan to send illegal migrants to Rwanda, the Prime Minister declared that « where we lead others will follow ».

Ahead of meetings with world leaders at the G20 summit in India, the Prime Minister said that other countries are now looking at « similar solutions » and said tackling this challenge would require « global co-ordination ».

The PM also said Britain is working to strengthen migrant return agreements with a range of countries. And in a boost for Mr Sunak, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her country is ready to « intensify » co-­operation with the UK on migration.

When asked whether other countries are following his lead on the Rwanda scheme, he said: « I said Britain would be tough but fair, and where Britain leads others will follow. We have been willing to take bold and radical action to tackle this problem.

« I said that other countries would look at similar solutions, and you can start to see that they are with the news from Austria and, more broadly, across Europe. »

Austria last week backed calls for a Rwanda-style scheme for EU members, with immigration a key electoral issue in Poland, Germany and the Netherlands later this year.