Amber Rudd’s insistence that she knew nothing of Home Office targets for immigration removals risks unravelling following the leak of a secret internal document prepared for her and other senior ministers. 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”. Deportations apply to people and their children whose removal is deemed 'conducive to the public good' by the home secretary. It states that 12,503 enforced returns were achieved in 2016-17, which was regarded as a “success given the particularly damaging impact” from the number of late claims for asylum. The home secretary, permanent secretary, second permanent secretary and special advisers are the first to be named.

Source: The Guardian April 27, 2018 13:39 UTC