British Prime Minister Theresa May has moved swiftly to shore up her government in the wake of the sudden resignation of a senior minister over an immigration scandal late on Sunday night.
May appointed Sajid Javid, a second-generation migrant whose parents came to Britain from Pakistan, as Home Secretary on Monday morning, plugging a hole left when predecessor Amber Rudd fell victim to a growing controversy over the treatment of the so-called Windrush generation of immigrants.
Javid, 48, is the first member of an ethnic minority to hold the position, one of the most senior in the British government. He had spoken out forcefully on plight of people from former British colonies who arrived legally in Britain in the 1950s and 60s, but who had struggled to prove their status amid a wider crackdown on illegal immigration. They became known as the Windrush generation after the name of the ship that brought an early group of Caribbean migrants to Britain in 1948.
It is a significant promotion for Javid, who was previously the Secretary of State for Communities, Local Government and Housing. He voted Remain in the 2016 referendum on British membership of the European Union, and his appointment -- announced by Prime Minister Theresa May in a tweet Monday morning -- maintains the delicate and often uneasy balance between "remainers" and "Brexiters" in the government.
Rudd had claimed to a parliamentary committee that her department did not impose targets, but the Guardian reported on Sunday that in a private letter to May in 2017, she had informed the Prime Minister that she intended to boost deportations by 10%.
Her position on deportations came against the backdrop of her departments' handling of the "Windrush generation," men and women from the Caribbean who arrived legally in Britain in the 1950s and 60s, but who have struggled to prove their status amid the crackdown on illegal immigration.
Rudd was the fourth high-ranking minister to resign from Prime Minister May's Conservative government in the past six months.
Continue Reading: Sajid Javid named new UK home secretary after Windrush scandal
May appointed Sajid Javid, a second-generation migrant whose parents came to Britain from Pakistan, as Home Secretary on Monday morning, plugging a hole left when predecessor Amber Rudd fell victim to a growing controversy over the treatment of the so-called Windrush generation of immigrants.
Javid, 48, is the first member of an ethnic minority to hold the position, one of the most senior in the British government. He had spoken out forcefully on plight of people from former British colonies who arrived legally in Britain in the 1950s and 60s, but who had struggled to prove their status amid a wider crackdown on illegal immigration. They became known as the Windrush generation after the name of the ship that brought an early group of Caribbean migrants to Britain in 1948.
It is a significant promotion for Javid, who was previously the Secretary of State for Communities, Local Government and Housing. He voted Remain in the 2016 referendum on British membership of the European Union, and his appointment -- announced by Prime Minister Theresa May in a tweet Monday morning -- maintains the delicate and often uneasy balance between "remainers" and "Brexiters" in the government.
Former Home Secretary Rudd quit the top Cabinet post after admitting she "inadvertently misled" government over targets for the deportation of illegal immigrants.Sajid Javid MP @SajidJavid becomes Secretary of State for the @UKHomeOffice— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 30, 2018
Rudd had claimed to a parliamentary committee that her department did not impose targets, but the Guardian reported on Sunday that in a private letter to May in 2017, she had informed the Prime Minister that she intended to boost deportations by 10%.
Her position on deportations came against the backdrop of her departments' handling of the "Windrush generation," men and women from the Caribbean who arrived legally in Britain in the 1950s and 60s, but who have struggled to prove their status amid the crackdown on illegal immigration.
Rudd was the fourth high-ranking minister to resign from Prime Minister May's Conservative government in the past six months.
Continue Reading: Sajid Javid named new UK home secretary after Windrush scandal
Comments
Post a Comment