New Home Secretary appointed after Rudd resigns amid immigration scandal

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed Sajid Javid as Home Secretary following the resignation of Amber Rudd Sunday amidst a scandal revealing that the Home Office set quotas for removing undocumented immigrants.             

What does the change mean? Javid, an MP for Bromsgrove, who previously served as business and culture secretaries, has criticized the deportation targets as well as the recent scandal involving the Windrush generation. His initial priority is to put the scandals to rest. Javid was opposed to Brexit and his appointment maintains the balance of Remainers and Brexiters within May’s Brexit Department.

Background: Rudd resigned Sunday after her former deputy said that they had discussed increasing deportations by 10 percent. The comments contradicted Rudd’s statements to parliament that she was not aware of the Home Office setting any numerical targets for deportations.

Javid said his first priority was “to keep the British people safe” and his most urgent task was to make sure the Windrush generation was treated “with the decency and fairness they deserve.” The Windrush generation refers to people from Commonwealth Caribbean countries who were invited to fill labor shortages and legally settle in post-WWII Britain, but were not given documentation. The government has come under fire for declaring them illegal immigrants, which has resulted in some being threatened with deportation, losing their jobs and being denied health care.

BAL Analysis: Javid’s immediate priority is to resolve the scandal and reassure the public that the Home Office is not promoting a “hostile environment” toward immigrants. In the longer term, Javid will oversee the new immigration policy post-Brexit. As a former Business Secretary, he is in favor of a skills-based immigration system, which is welcomed by the business community.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in the United Kingdom. For additional information, please contact uk@bal.com.

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