Abbott compares PM’S policy to Idi Amin’s

The shadow home secretary also said that a Labour government would not prioritise EU migrants

Diane Abbott has compared Theresa May’s immigration policies to those of Idi Amin, the brutal African dictator whose regime was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. In a speech setting out Labour’s policy on migration, the shadow home secretary blamed the Windrush crisis on “ministerial rhetoric” that “goes all the way back to the debate about East African Asians under Idi Amin”.

DIANE ABBOTT has compared Theresa May’s immigration policies to those of Idi Amin, the brutal African dictator whose regime was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.

In a speech setting out Labour’s policy on migration, the shadow home secretary blamed the Windrush crisis on “ministerial rhetoric” that “goes all the way back to the debate about East African Asians under Idi Amin”.

She also claimed the Government’s policy on family reunification – setting financial barriers for workers to bring their partners to the UK – is akin to Donald Trump’s policy of holding Mexican children in cages on the US border.

Ms Abbott’s controversial remarks formed part of a complex speech on Labour’s plan for immigration after Brexit in which she vowed to scrap minimum

income requirements for migrants. She also said a Jeremy Corbyn government would end special treatment of EU nationals, meaning migrants coming to the UK from the EU would compete with others from around the world.

The policy would be reciprocal, meaning British staff wanting to move to the continent may find it more difficult under a Labour government.

She said: “Once trade deals have been struck and established there will be no unequal treatment based on which countries people are coming from.

“A fully qualified doctor from Pakistan will be treated just like a fully qualified doctor from Poland, and vice versa.”

Speaking in the Houses of Parliament, Ms Abbott said any worker from around the world would be free to come to the UK as long as they have “bona fide skills” to fill jobs which cannot be given to British workers.

She also appeared to admit that better training and increased wages may not be enough to encourage Brits to apply for some jobs, meaning employers would be encouraged to look for staff abroad.

The shadow home secretary blamed Theresa May for the so-called hostile environment policy which led to the Windrush scandal and commonwealth nationals being deported.

She said: “There is so much wrong with the immigration system. To be fair these problems did not begin with this Government. They did not begin even in 2010.

“The problems go back decades. And this Government has added a new, cruel, malign twist to the long-running injustice. Windrush is now almost synonymous with injustice. How can this happen?

“The most important factor is that official policy, Ministerial rhetoric and media coverage fails to treat migrants as people.

“And this goes all the way back to the debate about East African Asians under Idi Amin. What we have always seen is the other-isation of migrants.

“And we’ve seen it, I’m sorry to say, under Labour and Conservative Governments.”

Commenting on the speech Caroline Nokes, the immigration minister, said: “Labour cannot be trusted to control immigration.

“They have no interest in getting control of our borders as we leave the EU, and today said they would tear up the rules for people coming from outside the EU which would allow more low-skilled immigration.”

Yesterday a video emerged of a Jewish Tube passenger tackling Ms Abbott over comments she made earlier this year in which she said Orthodox Jews were victimised “because they wear that costume”.

The passenger told her: “It’s not called a costume, love. It’s called a religious piece of clothing.”