The home secretary expects the government proposal to face 'hurdles and barriers' from lawyers.
Asked whether she was confident the plan would work and how long it would take to begin, Ms Patel said: "I've said from day one, even when I signed the agreement and announced the partnership, that this will take time and it will take time for a range of reasons.
Ms Patel added that the government's new nationality and borders bill granted "greater powers and greater means" to remove people who did not have a legal right to remain in the UK. The department said the government "has the power to detain individuals pending their removal from the UK", adding the first flights were expected to take place in the coming months.
The home secretary also said the ongoing issue of small boat crossings was "exactly why we changed our laws" and why the agreement with the Rwandan government was struck.
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