Number 10 lobby briefing on Amber Rudd, Foreign Office removal video and crime
2 min read
Here is a summary of this morning's briefing for lobby journalists by the Prime Minister's official spokesman.
AMBER RUDD
Asked if the Prime Minister retained full confidence in Amber Rudd, despite the ongoing controversies over Windrush and immigration removal targets, the spokesman said: "Yes. The Home Secretary is working hard in order to address the concerns which have been raised in relation to Windrush and to ensure they are addressed and put right."
The spokesman added: "The idea of removal targets being set by the Government goes back over a number of decades. In a 1998 White Paper titled 'Fairer, Faster and Firmer - a modern approach to immigration and asylum' the then government set a target for the removal of failed asylum seekers at 12,000. Moving onwards, as part of the Treasury's then PSA process, a target of removing 30,000 asylum seekers was set in the autumn of 2000. Tony Blair set a target in 2003 to halve the number of asylum seekers in a year; Jacqui Smith in 2007 had a commitment to remove 4,000 foreign national prisoners in a year.
"Dealing with issues of illegal immigration and taking enforcement action has been a priority for a succession of governments."
FOREIGN OFFICE VIDEO
On a Foreign Office video from 2013 giving advice to people returning to the Caribbean after 30 years in the UK, the spokesman said: "There is long-established, voluntary assisted removals scheme where successive governments have provided support packages for people that took the decision to return home voluntarily."
CRIME FIGURES
On figures showing violent crime is up by one-fifth, the spokesman said: "We are determined to tackle crime and the causes of crime and put an end to violence that can devastate the lives of young people, their families and whole communities. The Government's new serious violence strategy represents a step change in the way we think about and respond to these issues. It puts a greater focus on steering young people away from crime and tackling the root causes while continuing to support a strong law enforcement response."
