Today the Government has announced that Sajid Javid has become Home Secretary. He takes over the role from Amber Rudd, who resigned on Sunday stating she had “inadvertently misled the Home Affairs Select Committee” about targets for removing people from the UK, and following several weeks of criticism surrounding the treatment of the ‘Windrush’ generation and the Home Office’s hostile environment policies.

Sajid Javid joins the Home Office having most recently served as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

In welcoming Mr Javid to his role, the Refugee Council’s Chief Executive Maurice Wren stated:

“We send our congratulations to Sajid Javid on his appointment as Home Secretary. He joins the Home Office at a time when there is much reflection on the treatment of people who were not born in the UK. His predecessor acknowledged that people have not always been treated fairly and humanely, and we urge Mr Javid to take this opportunity to create an environment and an ethos within the Home Office that puts people first and ensures that refugees and people seeking asylum are treated with respect and humanity whatever the outcome of their claims for refugee protection.”