Chris Mason: The row over the Migration Bill is just beginning

The government always knew this was going to cause a row.

And the row is only just beginning.

The prime minister’s aim is clear enough.

Stop The Boats – another three word slogan.

Rishi Sunak’s answer to my question about whether he will have failed if he has not stopped the boats by the next general election was a little less clear.

But there is definitely a target against which we can measure his success or otherwise.

A quick word about that slogan: Stop The Boats.

It has had an outing in politics before, in Australia, under former prime minister Tony Abbott. And Mr Sunak’s elections strategist is an Australian, Issac Levido.

But what of the policy itself? It is expected to be back in the House of Commons on Monday.

The aim within government is to have it heading towards the House of Lords by just after Easter- where it’s likely to encounter plenty of opposition.

But the hope among ministers is that it could become law over the summer or in the early autumn.

The government then expects it to be challenged legally, at the point where they first use its powers.

Meanwhile, the controversial plan to send migrants to Rwanda continues – it reaches the Court of Appeal next month.

The number of migrants who could be sent there – if it is deemed to be legal – is uncapped. But that still remains an if.

Ministers are relieved that the only opposition from Conservative MPs so far is from people who would like to see the government succeed, but just fear that the UK’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) may yet stand in the way of that.

Downing Street is committed to remaining within the ECHR and unpicking membership would be hugely controversial and complex.

But we almost certainly have not heard the last of that argument.

On the opposition benches, there is some unease at the tone and tenor of some of this debate.

A sense from some that the language is inflammatory.

Labour knows the small boats issue is one they could inherit relatively soon, and they are desperate to emphasise that people crossing the Channel like this is a bad thing that needs to be stopped.

But they think the government’s plan won’t work.

Some figures even wonder if the whole thing has been set up in order to fail, something vehemently denied by ministers.

For the prime minister, his next stop is Paris on Friday, to talk about his plans with the French President.