Axe falls on mandarin in Windrush scandal

A TOP Home Office civil servant criti- cised over his handling of the Windrush scandal has effectively been axed by Sajid Javid.

Hugh Ind, who was director-general of immigration enforcement, left his role after being blamed for costing ex-Home Secretary Amber Rudd her job. Patsy Wilkinson, the second most senior mandarin at the Home Office, has also left her post.

Mr Javid, who became Home Secretary after Miss Rudd’s downfall, was said by insiders to have wanted to clear out those seen to have blundered. Miss Rudd resigned last month after she misled MPs by denying knowledge of deportation targets. It later emerged Mr Ind briefed her that there were no removal targets. He prepared a leaked memo showing the Home Office had a target of 12,800 enforced returns in 2017-18.

He will take up a role in the Cabinet Office overseeing an apprenticeship scheme. A Home Office spokesman declined to say if his departure was due to the Windrush scandal. Officials claimed he had neither resigned nor been sacked – simply moved. Miss Wilkinson is taking on a national security role outside the Home Office.

Windrush citizens who arrived in the UK between 1948 and 1973 were given an automatic right to stay. But rule changes in 2014 meant some Commonwealth migrants were wrongly branded illegal immigrants.

‘Potential’ cases reported to the Home Office have passed 5,000. Mr Javid said legislation has been introduced to bring into force measures to help end the crisis.