Sajid Javid puts Theresa May’s ‘hostile environment’ immigration policy on hold following the Windrush scandal

THERESA May’s “hostile environment” immigration has been paused - as Sajid Javid ripped further into the Prime Minister’s hardline legacy.

The Home Secretary said there would be a three month halt on data-sharing between departments for anyone aged over 30 of any nationality.

The move is designed to stop other members of the Windrush generation from being caught up in the net set up to tackle illegal immigration.

The changes will see a freeze in data sharing from HMRC, the department of work and pensions, and the DVLA to the Home Office.

In a letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee, Mr Javid said the department was trying to find the best way of evaluating how effective the policy was.

He revealed the policy had now been renamed the “compliant” environment – to make sure there is “no adverse impact on individuals who have a right to be here and to access those services”.

The Government has been severely criticised over the policy which saw British citizens of Caribbean origin wrongly deported.

The Home Office has revealed that while 63 people were wrongly deported, almost 600 people have been granted British citizenship and a further 2000 have been provided with documents confirming their status in the country under a scheme set up to tackle the scandal.

But Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee, said she was disappointed there was still no clarity about the number of people wrongly detained.

She blasted: “It is very disappointing that we still do not have information about the number of people wrongly detained, and that the Home Office has still not managed to make contact with the majority of those who were wrongfully deported or removed.

“The Committee is awaiting more information from the Home Office which is expected by the end of this week and will be asking further questions to follow up the information in the Home Secretary’s letter.”

It followed a damning report by the Home Affairs Select Committee who said unless the Home Office was overhauled the scandal “will happen again, for another group of people”.