Today’s Home Office stories include reaction to yesterday's Immigration White Paper announcement and a new report which claims police using Tasers are twice as likely to be attacked.
Immigration White Paper reaction
Widespread coverage is given to yesterday’s Immigration White Paper announcement in the morning papers.
The Times leads on low-skilled migrants being given the green light to fill manual jobs in the UK.
The report adds that the plans for a temporary work route will attempt to assuage fears that Brexit will lead to labour shortages. Migration Watch chairman Lord Green of Deddington told the Times “the clear winners [of the White Paper] will be big business”.
The Financial Times carried exclusive quotes from the Home Secretary in which he said the new system “would focus on the skills we need and welcome those who bring most benefit to the country”.
The FT also called the announcement a bid to “reconcile the Prime Minister’s promise to take back control of immigration with business concerns about recruitment”.
The Immigration Minister has an op-ed on Politico in which she maintains that EU migrants will remain welcome to visit, work and study in the UK.
The Home Secretary’s comments to the Commons are widely carried throughout the reports, as is an op-ed in the Sun in which he says the White Paper delivers on a promise to gain control of the UK’s borders.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid said:
We are delivering on the clear instruction to get control over our borders and will bring in a new system that works in the interest of the British people.
It will be a single, skills-based immigration system built around the talent and expertise people can bring, rather than where they come from – maximising the benefits of immigration and demonstrating the UK is open for business.
Taser police more susceptible to attacks
Widespread coverage is given to a new study’s findings that Taser-armed police are particularly susceptible to attack.
The study by the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology called the issue the “weapons effect”.
The Telegraph, Sun, Guardian, Metro the Star and Good Morning Britain cover the report, which claims officers carrying Tasers are 50 per cent more likely to be attacked.
The report’s co-author, Chief Superintendent David Lawes of City of London Police, said the use of Tasers “has been proportionate and sensible”.
A Home Office spokesperson said:
TASER, when used where lawful, necessary and reasonable, provides officers with an important tactical option in potentially violent situation. We support its use by specially trained officers.
Being attacked should never be part of the job for our courageous emergency service workers. That’s why we supported the Assaults on Emergency Workers Act, which will mean judges consider tougher sentences for these assaults.