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Tory chairman says he discussed deportations with Amber Rudd Tory chairman says he discussed deportations with Amber Rudd
(34 minutes later)
Brandon Lewis has admitted knowing about attempts to increase the number of government deportations and discussing them with Amber Rudd wwhile a minister in her department, increasing pressure upon the home secretary to resign. Brandon Lewis has admitted knowing about attempts to increase the number of government deportations and discussing them with Amber Rudd while a minister in her department, increasing pressure on the home secretary to resign.
The Conservative Party chairman said he had seen the memo that was leaked to the Guardian on Friday and said he had talked to Rudd about “ambitions” to increase the numbers deported from Britain. The Conservative party chairman said he had seen the memo that was leaked to the Guardian on Friday and said he had talked to Rudd about “ambitions” to increase the number of people deported from Britain.
Lewis’s claims appear to contradict Rudd’s evidence to the home affairs select committee last Wednesday, when she was asked when targets for removals were set. Rudd told the committee: “We do not have targets for removals.”Lewis’s claims appear to contradict Rudd’s evidence to the home affairs select committee last Wednesday, when she was asked when targets for removals were set. Rudd told the committee: “We do not have targets for removals.”
Interviewed on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Lewis said he had discussed increasing the number of “removals” with Rudd. Interviewed on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Lewis said he had discussed increasing the number of removals with Rudd.
“[The memo] was outlining the figures from the previous year and the team outlining to me in the context of wanting to see that 10% increase in removals of illegal migrants and foreign national offenders,” he said.“[The memo] was outlining the figures from the previous year and the team outlining to me in the context of wanting to see that 10% increase in removals of illegal migrants and foreign national offenders,” he said.
Marr told Lewis that Rudd had told parliament, “We don’t have targets for removal”, and “If you are asking me are there numbers of people we expect to be removed, that is not how we operate.” Marr told Lewis that Rudd had told parliament: “We don’t have targets for removal … If you are asking me are there numbers of people we expect to be removed, that is not how we operate.”
“Isn’t that a target?” Marr asked.“Isn’t that a target?” Marr asked.
Lewis replied that Rudd’s words to the committee were replying to specific questions about local targets, not overall ambitions for the Home Office.Lewis replied that Rudd’s words to the committee were replying to specific questions about local targets, not overall ambitions for the Home Office.
“If you look at the questions she was being asked [by the committee], she was being asked about the localised, regional, internal, effectively the KPIs [key performance indicators] the immigration enforcement agency was using and, no, she was not aware of that.” “If you look at the questions she was being asked [by the committee], she was being asked about the localised, regional, internal, effectively the KPIs [key performance indicators] the immigration enforcement agency was using and, no, she was not aware of that,” he said.
“I have been in a room with Amber Rudd talking about increasing the number of returns but Amber Rudd and I have never discussed particular numbers in the way that was outlined in the home affairs select committee,” he said. “I have been in a room with Amber Rudd talking about increasing the number of returns but Amber Rudd and I have never discussed particular numbers in the way that was outlined in the home affairs select committee.”
Rudd has been under intense pressure to resign since the document was leaked to the Guardian on Friday.Rudd has been under intense pressure to resign since the document was leaked to the Guardian on Friday.
The six-page memo said the department has set “a target of achieving 12,800 enforced returns in 2017-18” and boasts that “we have exceeded our target of assisted returns”.The six-page memo said the department has set “a target of achieving 12,800 enforced returns in 2017-18” and boasts that “we have exceeded our target of assisted returns”.
It adds that progress has been made on a “path towards the 10% increased performance on enforced returns, which we promised the home secretary earlier this year”.It adds that progress has been made on a “path towards the 10% increased performance on enforced returns, which we promised the home secretary earlier this year”.
The document was prepared by Hugh Ind, the director general of the Home Office’s immigration enforcement agency, in June last year and copied to Rudd and Lewis, the then immigration minister, as well as several senior civil servants and special advisers.The document was prepared by Hugh Ind, the director general of the Home Office’s immigration enforcement agency, in June last year and copied to Rudd and Lewis, the then immigration minister, as well as several senior civil servants and special advisers.
On Friday night, the home secretary insisted she had not seen the leaked memo, “although it was copied to my office, as many documents are”. The home secretary insisted on Friday night that she had not seen the leaked memo “although it was copied to my office, as many documents are”.
She repeated her claim that she “wasn’t aware of specific removal targets”, adding: “I accept I should have been and I’m sorry that I wasn’t.”She repeated her claim that she “wasn’t aware of specific removal targets”, adding: “I accept I should have been and I’m sorry that I wasn’t.”
She promised to make a fresh statement to MPs on Monday about the affair, and concluded: “As home secretary I will work to ensure that our immigration policy is fair and humane.”She promised to make a fresh statement to MPs on Monday about the affair, and concluded: “As home secretary I will work to ensure that our immigration policy is fair and humane.”
More than 200 MPs have written to Theresa May urging her to enshrine promises made to Windrush generation migrants in law, keeping the pressure on the prime minister as she fights to contain the crisis. More than 200 MPs have written to Theresa May urging her to enshrine promises made to Windrush generation in law, keeping the pressure on the prime minister as she fights to contain the crisis.
The letter, which is predominantly backed by Labour MPs, also accuses Amber Rudd of making up immigration policy “on the hoof” in a bid to overcome the scandal. The letter, which is predominantly backed by Labour MPs, also accuses Amber Rudd of making up immigration policy “on the hoof” in a bid to ride out the scandal.
The home secretary is facing a barrage of calls to resign, including from the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in the Observer, with critics accusing her of mishandling the Windrush row and apparently being unaware of the Home Office’s use of targets for removing illegal immigrants. The home secretary is facing a barrage of calls to resign, including from the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, writing in the Observer, with critics accusing her of mishandling the Windrush row and apparently being unaware of the Home Office’s use of targets for removing illegal immigrants.
Khan told ITV’s Peston On Sunday: “I think this is a question not just of competence, it’s also a question of conduct. But also I think there needs to be an acceptance that what has happened to the Windrush generation isn’t an anomaly, it’s not due to an administrative error – it’s a consequence of the hostile environment created by this government.” Khan told ITV’s Peston On Sunday: “I think this is a question not just of competence, it’s also a question of conduct. But also I think there needs to be an acceptance that what has happened to the Windrush generation isn’t an anomaly, it’s not due to an administrative error. It’s a consequence of the hostile environment created by this government.”
A senior Conservative minister appealed to ethnic minority voters not to abandon the party in this week’s local elections over the Windrush scandal.A senior Conservative minister appealed to ethnic minority voters not to abandon the party in this week’s local elections over the Windrush scandal.
Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, whose parents emigrated from Pakistan in the 1960s, said his first reaction when he heard people were being wrongly threatened with deportation was that it could have been his family.Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, whose parents emigrated from Pakistan in the 1960s, said his first reaction when he heard people were being wrongly threatened with deportation was that it could have been his family.
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he said the government was committed to “put things right” and he urged ethnic minority voters to look at the “bigger picture” when it came to Thursday’s vote. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he said the government was committed to putting things right and he urged ethnic minority voters to look at the bigger picture when it came to Thursday’s vote.
Labour, however, made clear there would be no let-up on the pressure on Rudd, who apologised on Friday in a series of late-night tweets for not knowing the Home Office did use immigration targets, when she had previously said it did not.Labour, however, made clear there would be no let-up on the pressure on Rudd, who apologised on Friday in a series of late-night tweets for not knowing the Home Office did use immigration targets, when she had previously said it did not.
She said she had not seen a memo referring to the targets, even though it was copied to her office.She said she had not seen a memo referring to the targets, even though it was copied to her office.
Commonwealth immigrationCommonwealth immigration
Immigration and asylumImmigration and asylum
Amber RuddAmber Rudd
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