Migration Streeting says he is not 'comfortable' on removals

Wes Streeting has admitted he is not “comfortable” with forcibly deporting families from the country underthe home secretary’s migration plans, while maintainingitis still the right thing to do.

- Rajeev Syal Rowena Mason

The health secretary said he thought the number of forced removals would be low under the proposed Denmark-like model, as there would be a higher financial incentive for people enteringillegally to return to their country of origin.

However, when pressed on whether he was comfortable with the policy, which dozens of Labour MPs oppose, Streeting said: “Honestly? Comfortable? No. But is it the right thing to do for the country? Yes.”

In the interview with LBC, he said Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, was “making sure that we, where people have got noright to be here, that we are deporting them, but also supporting them toberelocated as well ... so actually the number of forced removals should be low.”