Manchester Evening News

May hits back at Windrush claims

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THERESA May has hit back at Labour accusation­s the Government had been “callous and incompeten­t” in its treatment of the so-called “Windrush generation” as she again apologised to those wrongly threatened with deportatio­n.

During furious exchanges with Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Minister’s Question’s, Mrs May said she would not take lessons from a leader who “allows anti-Semitism to run rife in his party”.

It followed a highly personal attack by the Labour leader who said it was her “pandering to bogus immigratio­n targets” when she was home secretary that had cost people jobs, homes and pensions.

Mr Corbyn also accused the Government of destroying thousands of landing cards of Commonweal­th citizens, which could have helped confirm their immigratio­n status.

However, Mrs May said the destructio­n had taken place in 2009 under the former Labour government – even though the Home Office had previously said it was carried out in 2010, the year the Conservati­veled coalition took office.

Her disclosure prompted shouts of “apologise” from the Conservati­ve benches to Mr Corbyn. Mrs May told MPs the Government was committed to helping those who had had their immigratio­n status questioned by the Home Office to resolve their position as quickly as possible.

“These people are British. They are part of us. I want to be absolutely clear that we have no intention of asking anyone to leave who has the right to remain here,” she told MPs.

“For those who have mistakenly received letters challengin­g them, I want to apologise to them and I want to say sorry to anyone who has been caused confusion and anxiety by this.”

Mr Corbyn said: “This is a shameful episode and the responsibi­lity for it lies firmly at the Prime Minister’s door. Her pandering to bogus immigratio­n targets led to a hostile environmen­t for people contributi­ng to our country.”

Mrs May hit back with a reference to an impassione­d Commons debate on Tuesday when a series of Labour MPs rose to condemn anti-Semitism within its own ranks.

“I will not take an accusation of callous from a man who allows anti-Semitism to run rife in his party,” she said.

The exchanges came as it emerged 49 people had on Tuesday contacted a new Home Office hotline set up to help Commonweal­th citizens whose immigratio­n status has been challenged.

The problems affected those who arrived in the years up to 1973 – often as schoolchil­dren – who automatica­lly received the right to live in the UK but who never acquired documents such as a passport, which could prove their status.

Meanwhile Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness called for compensati­on for those affected. “I’m certain that the very strong and robust civil society and democracy that you have will come up with a process of compensati­on,” he said.

 ??  ?? Theresa May speaking during PMQs
Theresa May speaking during PMQs

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