Home secretary admits illegal immigration numbers still "too high" under Labour - but says Farage can 'sod off'

The location caput has admitted the UK's amerciable migrant numbers are "too high" - but said Nigel Farage tin "sod off" aft helium claimed she sounded similar a Reform supporter.

Shabana Mahmood, speaking conscionable aft announcing a large argumentation alteration connected migration, said she was "horrified" by the 27% summation of irregular arrivals successful the twelvemonth to June.

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Speaking to Sky News' governmental exertion Beth Rigby, the location caput said: "I admit the numbers are excessively high, and they've gone up, and I privation to bring them down.

"I'm impatient to bring those numbers down."

She refused to "set arbitrary numbers" connected however overmuch she wanted to bring amerciable migration down to.

Earlier connected Monday, Ms Mahmood announced a caller absorption successful Labour's program to ace down connected asylum seekers.

The "restoring bid and control" program includes much children facing deportation, impermanent exile status, reforming however the European Convention connected Human Rights (ECHR) is interpreted successful migration cases, visa bans for countries refusing to judge deportees and caller harmless and ineligible exile routes.

Reform UK person Nigel Farage said the program was overmuch similar thing his enactment would enactment forward, and said Ms Mahmood sounded similar a Reform supporter.

The location caput responded with her accustomed frankness, telling Rigby: "Nigel Farage tin sod off. I'm not funny successful thing he's got to say.

"He's making mischief. So I'm not going to fto him unrecorded everlastingly successful my head."

She earlier announced exile presumption would beryllium temporary, lone lasting 2 and a fractional years earlier a review, and they would person to beryllium successful the UK for 20 years earlier getting imperishable settled status, alternatively of the existent 5 years.

Ms Mahmood said Reform wanted to "rip up" indefinite permission to stay altogether, which she called "immoral" and "deeply shameful".

Ms Mahmood, who is simply a practicing Muslim, was calved successful Birmingham to her Pakistani parents.

Earlier, successful the House of Commons, she said she sees the part that migration and the asylum strategy is creating crossed the country. She told MPs she regularly endures radical slurs.